Bengal CM Adhikari accuses Mamata govt of favouring one minority community
Synopsis
On the eve of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari used a Sikh community event to level a pointed charge at his predecessor Mamata Banerjee — that TMC's minority welfare was effectively a single-community affair. With Adhikari having defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by 15,000-plus votes on the back of Sikh and Jain support, the remark is as much political strategy as it is a governance critique.
Key Takeaways
Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress government of favouring one minority community at a Sikh community event on 15 November 2026 .
Adhikari alleged the Mamata Banerjee administration focused exclusively on Muslims under the banner of minority welfare, ignoring Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis.
TMC strongly rejected the charges, saying Banerjee 'always believed in the unity of all religions.' Adhikari defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes , with Sikh and Jain voters reportedly backing him strongly.
Political analysts say the remarks reflect the BJP 's broader national narrative against opposition appeasement politics.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday, 15 November 2026, launched a pointed attack on the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration, accusing his predecessor Mamata Banerjee of prioritising a single minority community while sidelining others including Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis. The remarks came at a Sikh community event in Kolkata held ahead of Guru Nanak Jayanti.
What Adhikari Said
'For the Trinamool Congress and the former Chief Minister, only one particular community represented the entire minority community. But Sikhs, Jains and Parsis are also part of the minority community,' Adhikari told reporters at the event.
He praised the Sikh community for their nationalist sentiments and asserted that his administration was committed to treating all religious minorities equally. He alleged that the previous regime had focused exclusively on Muslims under the banner of minority welfare.
TMC Hits Back
The Trinamool Congress strongly rejected the allegations. A party spokesperson defended Banerjee's tenure, saying that development proposals for the Sikh community were well-documented in state records.
'Mamata Banerjee always believed in the unity of all religions and followed that path. She never indulged in divisive politics, as is being done by her successor,' the TMC leader said.
Political Context
Political analysts note that Adhikari's remarks align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s broader national narrative accusing opposition parties of appeasement politics — a charge TMC has consistently denied. This comes amid a charged political climate in West Bengal, where the two parties remain locked in a fierce post-election rivalry.
Notably, in the recent assembly elections, Adhikari defeated Banerjee by a margin of over 15,000 votes in the Bhabanipur constituency, an area with a substantial population of Sikh and Jain voters who reportedly backed his campaign in significant numbers.
The Minority Welfare Debate
West Bengal has a diverse religious minority landscape, with Muslims forming the largest minority group, while Sikhs, Jains, Christians, and Parsis also constitute constitutionally recognised minorities. Critics of the previous TMC government have long argued that welfare schemes under Banerjee disproportionately benefited Muslim communities, while TMC maintains that all communities were served equitably during its tenure.
Adhikari's remarks at a Guru Nanak Jayanti event are seen by analysts as a deliberate outreach to non-Muslim minority communities — a constituency the BJP is working to consolidate ahead of future electoral cycles in the state.
Point of View
Jain, and Parsi minorities specifically, he is building a coalition of non-Muslim minorities around the BJP in a state where Muslim voters have historically anchored TMC's majority. The strategy mirrors BJP's playbook in UP and other states: frame opposition minority politics as exclusionary to gain traction with communities that feel overlooked. What is missing from this debate is any accounting of Adhikari's own government's record on minority welfare in its months in office — a yardstick by which these charges will ultimately need to be judged.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari say about Mamata Banerjee and minorities?
Adhikari accused the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government of treating only one community — implicitly Muslims — as the entire minority community, while ignoring Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis. He made the remarks at a Sikh community event in Kolkata ahead of Guru Nanak Jayanti on 15 November 2026.
How did the Trinamool Congress respond to Adhikari's accusations?
The TMC strongly rejected the allegations, with a party spokesperson saying Mamata Banerjee 'always believed in the unity of all religions' and never indulged in divisive politics. The party also stated that development proposals for the Sikh community were on record in state documents.
What is the political significance of Adhikari's remarks?
Political analysts say the comments reflect the BJP's national narrative against opposition appeasement politics. The timing — at a Sikh community event — signals a deliberate effort to consolidate non-Muslim minority voters, a constituency that played a role in Adhikari's win over Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency.
What was the result of the Bhabanipur assembly election between Adhikari and Banerjee?
Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by a margin of over 15,000 votes. The area has a substantial Sikh and Jain population who reportedly supported Adhikari's campaign.
Which communities did Adhikari say were ignored by the previous Bengal government?
Adhikari specifically cited Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis as communities that were marginalised under the TMC government's minority welfare framework. He alleged that all minority welfare had effectively been directed at a single community.
