Mughal rulers' traces will be erased from Bengal if BJP comes to power: Adhikari

Adhikari alleged that under the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Bengal would continue to witness the names of "foreign invaders" like Babur in public spaces. He said the BJP would ensure such names are removed if it forms the government in the upcoming Assembly elections.

West Bengal Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress over the Babri Masjid issue, claiming that if the BJP comes to power in the state, it will remove all traces of Mughal rulers from across Bengal.

Adhikari alleged that under the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Bengal would continue to witness the names of “foreign invaders” like Babur in public spaces. He said the BJP would ensure such names are removed if it forms the government in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“Wait till April, you’ll see what happens when we form a government,” Adhikari said, intensifying political rhetoric ahead of the polls. He added that the BJP would not only target Babur-related references but would also erase all traces of Mughal rulers from Bengal.

Calling Babur a foreign invader, Adhikari claimed that Mughal emperors including Babur, Humayun, Aurangzeb, Akbar and Shah Jahan were responsible for atrocities in India. He alleged that they carried out forced religious conversions, destroyed temples, and committed violence against women.

“From Darjeeling to Digha, from Cooch Behar to Kakdwip, wherever their names are written, the BJP government in Bengal will end those names in the coming days,” he said.

The Babri Masjid issue has become a political flashpoint in West Bengal after former TMC leader Humayun Kabir triggered controversy by announcing plans to build a ‘Babri Masjid’ in Murshidabad district. Kabir was later suspended by the TMC and went on to form the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP).