TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee Slams BJP Over ‘Religious Politics’ in Ayodhya Defeat

By A Staff Reporter

Hooghly, West Bengal – Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee stirred a political debate on Saturday with strong remarks aimed at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of misusing religion for electoral gain. His comments came in the wake of recent electoral outcomes and amid ongoing political discourse around faith and governance.

Addressing a public gathering, Banerjee said, “We do not do politics based on religion like the BJP. We worship all the gods—Hanuman ji, Ram ji… But they didn’t get the votes of ‘original’ Hindus, they got the votes of ‘fake’ Hindus.”

He further accused the BJP of deviating from the peaceful teachings of Lord Ram, stating, “Lord Ram doesn’t like violence, but they (BJP) are involved in it, and hence they lost in Ayodhya.”

The remarks come as a sharp critique of the BJP’s political strategy, particularly in regions considered symbolically and religiously significant, such as Ayodhya. The BJP, which has positioned itself as a staunch advocate of Hindu identity, suffered a surprising electoral setback in the region recently—an outcome that TMC leaders have pointed to as a rejection of divisive politics.