Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim's remarks on 'need to spread Islam among non-Muslims' spark controversy; BJP condemns

Kolkata Mayor and close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Firhad Hakim's recent speech stirred a controversy after he said that people who are not born in Islam are unfortunate. His speech openly called out people to convert to Islam. His remarks came during an ‘All India Quran Competition’ event that took place on July 3.

Here's what Firhad Hakim said

During the event, the Kolkata Mayor said, “Those who are not born in Islam are unfortunate! They are born with misfortune. We have to bring them under the fold of Islam.”

BJP slams TMC

On his comments, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya criticised the TMC for its extreme appeasement politics in the state.

Taking to X, Malviya wrote, “The TMC's penchant for extreme appeasement politics in West Bengal is an open secret. The party’s relentless appeasement politics has paid off, as evident from the successive electoral victories and subsequent post poll violence, which have emboldened the TMC, making it more audacious and haughty than ever. The brazen act of publicly flogging a woman by TMC’s JCB in a manner akin to Sharia Court punishment and the reprehensible defense by TMC’s Chopra MLA, Hamidur Rahman, asserting such actions are typical in a ‘Muslim Rashtra,’ have already incited a political maelstrom and bears the testament to the TMC’s ‘underlying agenda’."

"Now, TMC heavyweight and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim openly acknowledged this ‘underlying agenda’, by brazenly advocating the conversion of ‘ill-fated non-Muslims’ to Islam to ostensibly please ‘Allah’. These flagrant incidents portend an ominous future, where the TMC’s policy of appeasement will intensify, heralding a day not far off when West Bengal is wholly converted into a ‘Muslim Rashtra’ under ‘Didi’s Anuprerona (inspiration),’” he wrote.