Malda (WB), Oct 8 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday warned against cow slaughter and religious conversion in the state and vowed to stop “love jihad” and “land jihad”, declaring that “no one will be worse than me” if such incidents recur during his tenure.
Addressing a government programme in Muslim-majority Malda, a district bordering Bangladesh, Adhikari said an alleged religious conversion incident in Kaliachak-I block in 2023 would be the last such case and asserted that there would be no repeat of the Mothabari and Kaliachak communal violence under his watch.
“Will you stop religious conversion in Malda? One such incident was registered in Kaliachak-I block in the district. That was the last. If anything similar takes place during my tenure, you won’t find anybody worse than me,” he said.
“If it happens again, no one will be worse than me. I am telling you that there should not be any more religious conversion anywhere. As long as I am alive, I will not allow Mothabari and Kaliachak (incidents) to happen again,” the chief minister added.
A case had been filed in 2023 alleging the forced conversion of two brothers in Mothabari in Malda district.
Referring to communal violence in the district, Adhikari said Hindus had suffered the most and asserted that his government would take a firm position on issues of religious conversion and border security.
Adhikari said, “We will not tolerate any religious conversion anywhere. We will stop love-jihad and land-jihad. We have handed over land to the BSF. Will not allow a single fly to sneak in.”
The state government transferred 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force in May for construction of barbed-wire fencing and border outposts in several districts, including Malda.
The chief minister’s remarks on conversion and “land jihad” came against the backdrop of the BJP government’s emphasis on border security and its political campaign around alleged illegal infiltration and demographic change in border districts.
Adhikari also warned against cow slaughter and directed people to strictly follow the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.
“We will implement the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950. No one should raise a hand against Gaumata. No one should harm a ‘Gau Mata’. I am making this clear,” he said.
The remarks on cow slaughter added a distinct cultural and religious dimension to an address otherwise focused on border security, citizenship and social reform.
On the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Adhikari said applicants would no longer have to approach others for citizenship certificates as the Centre had empowered the state to conduct hearings and issue them.
“We will hold hearings and give certificates. Those who have not applied should do it quickly. Those who have already received certificates will be added to the voters list, and those among them belonging to Scheduled Castes will also get their caste certificates,” he said.
The CAA, which provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants who entered India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, has remained a politically contentious issue in West Bengal, particularly in districts bordering Bangladesh.
Adhikari’s remarks on citizenship came alongside his emphasis on sealing the international border, linking the BJP government’s messaging on citizenship with its broader focus on border security.
He also called for a wider social reform agenda in Malda, saying the state would work to make the district drug-free and prevent child marriages.
Reaching out to students, Adhikari said, “Those who sing the entire Vande Mataram in schools and madrasas before classes begin will be my friends.”
The chief minister also announced that a Kisan Development Board would be set up to support farmers and sought the continued support of the people.
Malda district, with 16 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats, has considerable political significance in Bengal’s electoral landscape. The BJP has increasingly sought to frame issues of border security, citizenship, religious identity and alleged infiltration as central to its political narrative in the state. PTI BSM PNT NN
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