BJP not trying to divide people along religious lines: Babul Supriyo

Kolkata, April 5 :  Rubbishing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that the BJP is trying to create a divide among the people in the state along religious lines, BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Wednesday asserted that his party is focused on its agenda of development for everyone.

"The BJP is not trying to create any divide in the state. Instead, our party is focusing on the motto of 'Sabka sath sabka bikash' (development for all). Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully worked on it in Gujarat and the party is trying to do the same here," Supriyo said.

Accusing Banerjee of practising the politics of minority appeasement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from West Bengal's Asansol said the growing support for his party in the state has compelled her to change tactics.

"Banerjee did the politics of minority appeasement in the state, but witnessing the massive wave of support for the BJP all around, she is now trying to please the other communities as well," he alleged.

Supriyo further claimed that the initiatives taken by the Trinamool Congress to organise Hindu religious festivals like the 'Hanuman worship' is nothing but a new form of vote bank politics that people of the state would "clearly understand".

"She has asked her party to observe Ramnavami and Hanuman worship at various places in the state on Wednesday. This might apparently look like a Puja but actually it is nothing but vote bank politics. 

"She has realised that her policies of minority appeasement is creating major discomfort among the people of other religions in the state. So now she is trying to make up for it. But the majority community also clearly understands her motive of vote bank politics," he said.

However, he did not comment on Banerjee's claims of a CPI(M)-BJP nexus in the state saying a "seasoned politician" like her should be well aware of the political connections between different parties.

"I have nothing to say. She is an extremely seasoned and experienced politician. So she should be well aware of the dynamics between different political parties. If she thinks that there is a nexus between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the BJP then that is her personal opinion. I won't comment on that," he added.