Kolkata, March 4 – An FIR was registered against Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, at a Kolkata police station on Wednesday, based on a complaint accusing him of making communally sensitive statements during the Dol Yatra festival.
Adhikari celebrated the festival on Tuesday with monks, local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, and voters from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata, where incumbent lawmaker Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister.
During his interaction with the Bhabanipur voters, Adhikari made public statements cautioning them about the dangers of "pseudo-secularism" and "atheism," and calling for "greater Hindu unity" in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Later on Tuesday, youth CPI-M leader Sainik Sur filed a formal complaint at the Ballygunge Police Station under the South Division of Kolkata Police, accusing Adhikari of making communally sensitive statements. Based on this complaint, an FIR was registered against Adhikari.
In his complaint, a copy of which is available with IANS, Sur argued that Adhikari's comments were not only politically provocative but also capable of inciting communal discrimination and hatred against secular-minded citizens and atheist members of society.
"Suvendu Adhikari's remarks have already caused unrest and protests among the public. The statements are capable of disturbing public peace. Communal harmony is essential for peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society, which is now being put under threat in a roundabout way," Sur later told media persons.
He also accused media persons of allegedly giving wide publicity to such "communally sensitive" comments by the Leader of the Opposition.
The youth CPI-M leader also requested the police to take appropriate disciplinary action against Adhikari as per the legal provisions to uphold constitutional values. He also said that similar police complaints will be registered against Adhikari in other police stations in the state.
