Firhad Hakim, the Senior Trinamool Congress leader and Mayor of Kolkata, said on Sunday, “Muslims could become bigger than the majority.” Firhad Hakim has come under fire from the BJP for his “mindset” and urge for Muslims to surpass the “majority” in the nation.
“Muslims should empower themselves so that their voices are automatically heard and their demands for justice and development are met,” Hakim said Friday at a gathering for minority students in Kolkata. “In West Bengal, we are 33 percent and nationwide we are 17 percent. We are called a minority. But we do not think of ourselves like that,” Hakim said. “If Allah’s mercy and teachings are with us, then one day we will become bigger than the majority,” he added.
The BJP leaders responded sharply to Hakim’s comment, accusing him of “openly inciting communal hatred and pushing a dangerous agenda,” which caused a huge controversy.
West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar also criticized Mamata Banerjee, the leader of the Trinamool party, and charged that the ruling party is attempting to make Bengal become similar to Bangladesh, where the minority Hindu community is being attacked by the military-backed government.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya alleged that the Bengal minister was talking about taking justice into his own hands and hinting towards a possible imposition of Sharia law.
