West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday came out in support of Uttar Pradesh government's directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, saying that a similar notifications were issued during the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments.
He added that it's a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. He claimed that the Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies on the issue. "Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies. A similar kind of notification was issued during Mulayam Singh Yadav's government, and Akhilesh Yadav's government also issued such notifications... it's a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. The law requires that names be registered, not identifying anyone by religion... Hindus who eat non-veg go to Muslim shops. In West Bengal, we go to many such shops, which are run by Muslims. The opposition is trying to divide the people and Asaduddin Owaisi is playing the role of Jinnah," Majumdar told ANI. Notably, Uttar Pradesh government has mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names. Citing the fact that the earlier UPA government also implemented the same directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route, Majumdar said that if the BJP does it, it's communal, however, if UPA does it, it's secular. "During Mulayam Singh's time, a similar notification was issued... The UPA government did the same; if the BJP does it, it's communal; if the UPA does it, it's secular," he added. Majumdar expressed concern over Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma's statement that Assam will be converted into a Muslim-dominated state by 2041. He said that infiltration from Bangladesh has changed the demographics, not just in Assam but also in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where "land jihad" is ongoing."...(It) is concerning. Historically, due to Lachit Borphukan, the Mughals couldn't enter Assam, so historically, there were few Muslims, especially in Upper Assam. But infiltration from Bangladesh has changed the demographics, not just in Assam but also in West Bengal and Jharkhand, where "land jihad" is ongoing. The whole country should think about this," he said. (ANI)
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