In the aftermath of a horrific blaze at the Ghuni slum, situated near Eco Park, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates breached every boundary of decency. Instead of aiding poor families who lost everything, the BJP turned this tragedy into a political tool, questioning their identities by branding them as 'illegal Bangladeshis' and 'Rohingyas'.
As people watched their homes dissolve into flames, this disaster became a political opportunity for the BJP. Rather than showing empathy or discussing relief, alleged fake news peddler Amit Malviya propagated an unfounded theory linking the fire to voter list tampering.
This isn't the first instance. Targeting Bengalis in BJP-governed states, labeling them Bangladeshis or Rohingyas, has been a recurring pattern. Continuing this narrative, the party declared the fire victims as foreigners. A party, where leaders have termed the Bengali language as 'Bangladeshi', now seems to be seeking electoral benefits in every disaster.
Utilizing societal pain for polarization, instead of unity, unveils political desperation and human insensitivity. It exposes the extent to which power politics is willing to exploit human suffering.
AITC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty commented on the situation, 'In New Town, so many homes turned to ashes, and dubbing those who lost everything as Rohingyas exemplifies the inhumane mindset, which is why Bengalis call them 'outsider landlords'. If these people were truly Rohingyas, they wouldn't have been able to submit enumeration forms under the SIR process nor show documents dating back to 2002. BJP needs to clarify how many forms were rejected at that booth.'
