Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress, on Saturday lashed out at actorturned-BJP leader Paresh Rawal for his remark clubbing Bengalis in general with Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas and making a snide comment on Bengal’s love of fish.
The reference to Rawal’s comments, for which the former MP had tendered an apology, made it clear that Trinamul would make it an issue to highlight the BJP’s cultural disconnect with Bengal.
In his bid to call out Rawal, the Diamond Harbour MP also took a dig at the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, for maintaining silence on the issue.
“An MP of this party (BJP) Paresh Rawal has said that Bengalis mean Bangladeshis. He has mocked our habit of eating fish.... Has Mr Adhikari spent a word on it?” Abhishek asked while addressing a rally in East Midnapore’s Contai, a stone’s throw away from Adhikari’s residence.
Abhishek has said there are about 5-10 lakh fishermen in East Midnapore, a coastal district.
“Tell me, those who are fishermen here, will you accept this insult? These people are making fun of our habit of eating fish and are calling Bengalis Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.... Those who claim to be so concerned about the culture of Bengal aren’t saying a single word to register a protest against this insult,” Abhishek said.
At a poll rally in Gujarat’s Valsad on December 1, the former BJP MP had said: “Gas cylinders are expensive but their price will come down. People will get employment as well. But what will happen if Rohingya migrants and Bangladeshis start living around you, like in Delhi? What will you do with gas cylinders? Cook fish for Bengalis?”
Upon being grilled on social media for his comment, Rawal issued an apology.
Abhishek also said fishermen were in dire straits as the cost of diesel — a fuel they use on their boats — had gone up by 50 per cent. According to him, one would need 1,000 litres of diesel to produce one tonne of fish.
He asked Bengal fisheries minister Biplab Roy Chowdhury to issue identity cards to fishermen.
Left protest
The North 24-Parganas district committee of the SFI — the student wing of the CPM — organised a rally at Nagebazar in Calcutta on Friday to protest against Rawal’s “fish” comment. An image of Rawal was garlanded with sandals and Left activists ate rice and fish in front of the portrait as a sign of protest.
