As Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat prepares for a 10-day long visit to West Bengal, political storm have escalated, with the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and the Congress strongly opposing what they call the RSS and BJP’s “saffronisation” politics and call for resistance against “fundamental politics” of Sangh chief Bhagwat.” Both the two political parties alleged that Bhagwat’s visit is a strategic move to consolidate Hindu votes in the state ahead of upcoming 2026 elections.
Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, yesterday stated that 39 per cent of Hindus in the state had already voted for the BJP, and if this number increased by another 5-6 per cent, the party would be able to form the government and turn Bengal into a “Hindu state.” He urged Hindu voters to step out and extend their kind support to the BJP, vowing to overthrow what he described as the “jihadi government” of the TMC.
Trinamul Congress state secretary Kunal Ghosh strongly condemned Adhikari’s statements, accusing him of indulging in divisive, religion-based politics instead of focusing on development. Ghosh asserted that such communal strategies would not succeed in West Bengal. “The BJP’s recent electoral gains were not due to its own strength but because the Left’s votes shifted to the BJP. Religious polarisation won’t work in Bengal,” he added.
The Pradesh Congress also joined the attack, with state spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy warning that “cow belt-style Hindutva politics will not be tolerated in Bengal.” He further stated that democratic forces, including the Congress, would actively resist any attempts to disrupt Bengal’s secular fabric. Roy also took a dig at Bhagwat’s earlier comment that “India only became truly Independent with the inauguration of the Ram Temple,” calling it a clear example of how the RSS politicises religion.
According to sources within the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on 7 February, and will stay at Keshav Bhavan until 10 February. He is expected to travel to Burdwan, where he will hold several closed-door meetings and one public rally on 16 February. Bhagwat will spend four days in Burdwan before concluding his Bengal visit.
Accompanying the RSS chief will be three other senior RSS officials. While there is a possibility of a brief trip to Delhi during his stay, plans remain tentative. The visit is being seen as an effort to strengthen the RSS’s influence in Bengal. With both TMC and Congress gearing up to resist any BJP-led communal push, Bhagwat’s visit is likely to further intensify the political battleground in West Bengal.