The statement was made at an event aimed at promoting educational opportunities for minority students. Hakim, an influential leader of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), made the comment while addressing a crowd of students, which led to an immediate backlash from several quarters. BJP leaders quickly seized on the opportunity, accusing the minister of stoking communal sentiments.
The BJP's reaction was swift, with several of its top leaders calling the comment divisive and inflammatory. They accused the TMC of promoting policies that they claimed could deepen the divide between communities in the state. BJP spokespersons demanded that Hakim apologize for his words, asserting that such statements had no place in Indian politics and were part of a larger strategy by the TMC to gain support among minority voters.
Hakim, however, defended his remarks, explaining that he did not intend to offend anyone. He clarified that his words were meant to highlight the increasing population of minority communities and to stress the importance of their inclusion in national progress. Hakim further emphasized that he was speaking in the context of improving educational opportunities for these communities, and not to incite division.
The remarks also sparked debate within the political circles in West Bengal, with some leaders from the TMC supporting Hakim, arguing that his statement was taken out of context. Others, however, expressed concern about how such rhetoric could fuel tensions among the state’s diverse communities.