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Published : 14 May 2026, 01:13 AM
A BJP legislator in Kolkata has sparked controversy after declaring that he would not carry out public work for Muslim residents who did not vote for him in the elections, The Indian Express reports.
Ritesh Tiwari, the BJP MLA from the Kashipur-Belgachia constituency, made the remarks during a public meeting on Wednesday, a video of which has since gone viral.
“I will not do any work for them in the upcoming five years,” the MLA was quoted as saying by the English-language Indian daily.
He went on to say, “In around 74 years of elections, in your area, I am the first candidate who did not get a single Muslim vote. Those who voted for me have a right over me.
“As for those who did not vote for me, I did not even visit their homes to seek votes. With Baba Bholenath as my witness, I say I won’t do any work for them in the upcoming five years. I will not issue a single certificate for them…not a single certificate.”
Tiwari defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Atin Ghosh, a senior civic official, by a margin of 1,651 votes.
He added, “This (meeting) is being aired live. But I do not care who thinks what and who says what. Modiji says ‘together with all, development for all’, I accept that. But in this election, he has added a few more words: ‘everyone’s account will be settled’. So I will settle accounts.”
When contacted by The Indian Express, Tiwari stood by his remarks, reiterating that electoral support should determine the allocation of limited resources.
BJP state spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said he was unaware of the comments and declined to react without seeing the video.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty criticised the remarks, saying they reflected a disregard for constitutional values, warning of public resistance to such political messaging.
