West Bengal: After quitting WA group, BJP’s rebel Bankura MLA fries ‘chops’

KOLKATA: It happens only in Bengal when a savoury or snack becomes a symbol of political rebellion. After quitting BJP’s WA groups, BJP MLA Niladri Sekhar Dana has posted pictures of himself frying chops — the Bengali savoury — in Bankura. As if to dispel doubts about the political nature of the statement, he said that his act followed Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee extolling the virtues of local home grown industry.
Dana, a veteran in the BJP, stirred controversy over his act on Saturday morning when he started frying chops at a roadside shop near his residence in the Kankata area.Locals were taken by surprise to find the lawmaker frying chops — often a focal point of political debates in Bengal. He was even seen selling the savoury to those who wanted to have a spicy morning breakfast.
Hours later, Dana said he was inspired by CM Banerjee’s urge to promote small and micro entrepreneurship. “The chief minister has time and again promoted small entrepreneurs and chop is one of the savouries that’s popular across Bengal. I tried to promote these micro entrepreneurs who earn a decent living by frying chops. This is not the first time I have tried my hands at frying chops. People in Bankura are fond of chop and muri (puffed rice),” he said.
Dana, who rose up the ranks in BJP from being an ordinary worker and a councillor, is among the first batch of dissidents who voiced disagreement with the recent organisational shuffle. Four BJP MLAs, including Dana, pulled out of BJP’s WhatsApp group in protest against the newly appointed party presidents for Bankura and Bishnupur organisational districts. Dana even wrote to BJP national president J P Nadda requesting him to reconsider the shuffle.
Local BJP leaders, however, pointed out that Dana was seen running a sewing machine himself and preparing masks at home during the pandemic. “There is no infighting in BJP. However, I will ask him the reasons,” said Sunil Rudra Mandal, BJP’s district president for Bankura.
BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh said if there was any disagreement, it could only be solved through discussions inside the party. “Such things should come to an end and the solution is in discussion with the aggrieved person. Some of our leaders were unwell and could not meet party workers during the pandemic,” he said.
The BJP MLA’s act, however, did not go unnoticed by the Trinamool Congress. TMC’s Taldangra MLA Arup Chakraborty said Dana had finally realised the demand for chop in this state. “He might be from a different party, but he has learnt from what the chief minister wanted to convey,” he said.