August 27: ‘Nabanna Abhijan caught in political vs apolitical debate’

MP, 25 Aug 2024, Kolkata: The call for ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ on August 27 by an anonymous group under the banner “Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj” or “Chhatra Samaj” seems to be oscillating between ‘political’ and ‘apolitical’ as political parties in the state debate over affiliations of the members of this group. 

The march to Nabanna (state secretariat) has been declared on social media by this group in protest against the alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 

Ever since it appeared in social media, political party leaders, especially from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), have called it a rally by the BJP which resorted to give a call for the march in the garb of an unknown “students’ body”. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh told the media that he has information that several members of this group, who were identified, are part of the BJP. 

Meanwhile, the state BJP is apparently suffering from a Hamletian dilemma over participation in this protest as one faction has decided to join it without the party flag while the other has advocated staying away from it. 

Ever since the incident, the saffron brigade has been demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is also the state’s Health and Home minister. Sukanta Majumder, state BJP president, is learnt to have told the media that he has still not decided whether he would join the march since he believes that political leaders must stay away from an “apolitical” protest rally. 

Sources said he is also not comfortable with the idea of BJP members joining the protest without party flags. On the contrary, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, has openly voiced his will to join this protest march and asked his party workers to do the same without the party flag. 

To ones closely following Bengal politics, such disparity within the saffron brigade may affect its strategy to convince the people that the incumbent ruling party ought to be dislodged from Nabanna. 

Further, it may also go against the diktat of the BJP’s top rung which has reportedly advised its state leaders to unitedly protest against the incumbent state government and do whatever it takes to convince the electorates in the state to repose their trust in the saffron brigade ahead of the 2026 state elections. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/august-27-nabanna-abhijan-caught-in-political-vs-apolitical-debate-577029