Suvendu’s Sympathy for Chinmoy Krishna Draws Sharp CPI(M) Response, Citing Umar Khalid

Referring to jailed Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari reiterated the importance of turning the state into a safe haven for Bengali Hindus. Strongly opposing his remarks, the CPI(M) highlighted what it called the BJP’s “double standards” and cited the arrest and prolonged detention of student leader Umar Khalid in India without trial.

Speaking at the inauguration of a Ganesh Puja in Rajarhat Gopalpur on Saturday, Hindutva leader Suvendu Adhikari said the heartbreaking images of Chinmoy Krishna attending his mother’s funeral after being released on a five-hour parole had stirred Sanatanis around the world. He said, “If we had not been able to become part of India through the struggles of Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Swami Pranavananda, perhaps our situation today would have been like Chinmoy Krishna’s.”

The BJP leader alleged that previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments had deliberately tried to erase from history the contributions of Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Swami Pranavananda to establishing a homeland for Bengali Hindus. He also spoke about his family’s experience during Partition, claiming that his mother Gayatri Devi’s family had to leave everything behind and flee from Bangladesh to India with only the clothes they were wearing because they were Hindus.

On the other hand, CPI(M) leader Kaltan Dasgupta rejected the BJP’s argument, saying the Left has always stood for minority rights regardless of borders. He accused the BJP of applying different standards in India and abroad. Kaltan Dasgupta said, “We on the Left have always stood for minority rights and against majoritarian aggression in Bangladesh, India and Palestine. But the BJP’s double standards are clear. Chinmoy Krishna has been jailed in Bangladesh after being branded anti-national, while in India, Umar Khalid has also been kept in jail in the same way.”

Chinmoy Krishna Das has been detained in Bangladesh since November 2024 in a sedition case. Following his mother’s death recently, he was granted short-term parole to attend her funeral. Suvendu Adhikari has long spoken out over what he describes as “persecution of minorities” in Bangladesh, including calling for strong protests following the killing of Dipu Das in Mymensingh last year.
Suvendu Adhikari also claimed that Durga Puja would be celebrated this year according to the traditional calendar and that immersion would also take place accordingly. He also said liquor shops would remain closed on Maha Ashtami.

Criticising the Left Front’s 34-year rule, Mr. Suvendu said the Communist government had attempted to distance Bengal from its religious and cultural heritage. He also accused the Trinamool Congress of “Jamaatisation” of Durga Puja.

In response, veteran Left leader Sujan Chakraborty took a dig at the remarks, saying, “Becoming chief minister does not mean someone can decide what books people will read or what they will eat. The Puja will be celebrated as it has been celebrated all these years.”
Meanwhile, the verbal clash between the two camps continues over Leftist book stalls beside puja pandals during the festival and the use of the terms ‘Sharodotsav’ and ‘Durga Puja’.