On Sunday (3rd January), Bihari actor and singer Pawan Singh took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the withdrawal of his candidature from the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a tweet, he stated, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me the candidate from Asansol but due to some personal reason, I will not be able to contest the election from Asansol.”
भारतीय जनता पार्टी के शीर्ष नेतृत्व को दिल से आभार प्रकट करता हु।
— Pawan Singh (@PawanSingh909) March 3, 2024
पार्टी ने मुझ पर विश्वास करके आसनसोल का उम्मीदवार घोषित किया लेकिन किसी कारण वश में आसनसोल से चुनाव नहीं लड़ पाऊंगा…@JPNadda
The development came less than 24 hours after Singh was declared the BJP candidate from the Asansol constituency in West Bengal.
Soon after his candidature was declared, the Trinamool Congress ecosystem labelled him ‘anti-Bengali’ for virtue of the lyrics of his music.
It must be mentioned that item numbers are common in the Bhojpuri film industry and Singh has been a part of several such projects. But this was almost the first time when a prospective candidate was shunted for the nature of his profession.
২০২৪ লোকসভা নির্বাচনে বিজেপি মনোনীত প্রার্থীদের পদ্মফুল চিহ্নে ভোট দিয়ে বিপুল ভোটে জয়ী করুন।#Vote4BJP #Abkibar400par #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar pic.twitter.com/v0BcyzUTpt
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) March 2, 2024
TMC leader Babul Supriyo claimed, “Have always said, that BJP is anti-Bengali – the fact that they didn’t give a cabinet seat to any Bengali in the 10 years they are in power is proof enough for that but now fielding Pawan Singh from Asansol shows their insensitivity against Bengali women.”
Have always said, that BJP is anti-Bengali – the fact that they didn't give a cabinet seat to any Bengali in the 10 years they are in power is proof enough for that but now fielding Pawan Singh frm Asansol shows their insensitivity against Bengali women•In terms of offending… https://t.co/KElTTnT3tF
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) March 2, 2024
TMC member Spandan Gain tweeted, “BJP’s LokSabha candidate from Asansol, Pawan Singh is a perfect example of their ‘Beti Bachao’. I would request Asansol people before casting vote, please check this video and picture where he is insulting Bengali women by using so many words like ‘Maal’ are really derogatory.”
“The whole Bengal should know that during Modi’s visit #BJPFirstList has been confirmed. So is this same BJP who was crying for #Sandeshkali women??”
BJP's #LokSabha candidate from Asansol, #PawanSingh is a perfect example of their 'Beti Bachao'. I would request #Asansol people before casting vote, please check this video and picture where he is insulting Bengali women by using so many words like 'Maal' are really derogatory.… pic.twitter.com/YqVdz2iLco
— Spandan Gain (@gainspandanaitc) March 3, 2024
‘Journalist’ turned Rajya Sabha MP from Trinamool Congress said, “Hum hasina Bengal ki.” The @BJP4India Asansol candidate’s video depicts the women of Bengal as in below. Will such a person be sitting as a legislator in Parliament ?”
“Hum hasina Bengal ki.” The @BJP4India Asansol candidate’s video depicts the women of Bengal as in below ⬇️. Will such a person be sitting as a legislator in Parliament ? pic.twitter.com/7zR1ZEVyYf
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) March 3, 2024
Interestingly, the TMC MP from Asansol happens to be Shatrugan Sinha, who has acted in several rape scenes in Bollywood movies. This however did not stop the Mamata Banerjee-led party from issuing him a ticket.
If doing some obscene scenes in movies makes Pawan Singh a bad person, this scene will make @ShatruganSinha sir a bad man as well? Will "seculars" call him a real life rap!st? pic.twitter.com/CqKVTgh0L5
— Mr Sinha (Modi's family) (@MrSinha_) March 3, 2024
TMC encashing on rising ‘anti-Bihari sentiment’ in West Bengal
The sudden and coordinated targeting of Pawan Singh by the Trinamool Congress ecosystem is not merely a coincidence. The Mamata Banerjee-led party is encashing on a rising ‘anti Bihari’ sentiment in the State.
Since 2019, the TMC supremo herself has blamed ‘outsiders’ for incidents of violence and unrest that took place in the State. The objective behind it was to evade responsibility for failing to provide safety and security to the residents of West Bengal.
It also served another purpose of creating a magnified sense of fear among the Bengali community that their culture, language and safety were somehow being usurped by migrants from other states.
The regionalism and eventual polarisation have yielded great results for the Mamata Banerjee government in the 2021 West Bengal elections.
Several Trinamool Congress leaders have since followed the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee. In 2021, BJP leader Nishikant Dubey accused former TMC MP Mahua Moitra of calling him a ‘Bihari gunda.’
In March 2022, another TMC leader Manoranjan Byapari had infamously said, “You will also have to say it out loud: Ek Bihari, 100 Beemarii (One Bihari is equal to 100 diseases). We don’t want diseases. Make Bengal disease-free.”
Mamata Banerjee and her prejudiced remarks against Biharis
On April 25, 2023, angry locals in the Kaliganj area in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal attacked the police over inaction in the alleged rape and murder case of a minor Dalit girl. They were furious at the cops for inappropriately handling the dead body of the victim.
During a press conference on the following day, Mamata Banerjee went on to slam the Bihari community for orchestrating the attack. “The manner in which the cops (including female personnel) were attacked and police station was set on fire by goons from Bihar is unpardonable…” the West Bengal CM claimed.
In the run-up to the 2021 West Bengal Vidhan Sabha polls, Mamata Banerjee used the ‘outsider’ jibe for political gains. She tried to consolidate the Bengali vote by first labelling the BJP as a party of ‘outsiders‘ (Bohiragoto).
While addressing an election rally in March 2021, she alleged, “They (BJP) have the plan to kill a woman from their party. As you know, they had brought goons from Uttar Pradesh (to Bengal). They will make those goons torture her, blame the State and divide the Hindus and Muslims. Remember this is the plan of the thugs from Bihar and Rajasthan.”
#WATCH | They (BJP) have another plan to kill a woman from their own party with goons they have brought from Bihar & UP and put the blame on Bengal. This is their plan: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/KujcL52Xho
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2021
“Baira thaka goondara aisa bangla ke dhokhol kora nibe, Banglar sanskriti ke dhokhol kore nabe, banglar asthitya dhokhol kore nabe.(Goons from other States will come here and take over Bengal, destroy its culture and identity),” the incumbent West Bengal Chief Minister alleged during another election rally in Nandigram.
Conclusion
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, the TMC is raking up the ‘Bengali Vs Bihari’ divide by painting Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh as ‘anti-Bengali.’
The assertions are made not based on Singh’s real-life views about Bengalis but on the lyrics of songs used in the Bhojpuri film industry. The destruction of social cohesion for petty politics has previously led to casual discrimination and real-life attacks in West Bengal.
While being aware of the ‘rising social tension’ in the State over his candidature from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency, Pawan Singh has preemptively and respectfully bowed out of the political slugfest.
