On 13th December, Khabar India, a YouTube-based news channel, published a video on the sidelines of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for early 2025. In the video, the reporter asked questions to Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal who have been working in Delhi for years. During the interview, one of the migrant workers openly threatened to behead the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. The Muslim workers said they prefer Congress over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as “Rahul Gandhi” is a good leader. They further hoped that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee becomes Prime Minister in 2029, replacing PM Narendra Modi.
Open threat to UP CM Yogi Adityanath
The interview took a disturbing turn when one of the Muslim migrant workers expressed anger towards UP CM Yogi Adityanath, specifically targeting him for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the demolition of illegal mosques and mazars, and actions against loudspeakers and illegal slaughterhouses. He went ahead and threatened to behead CM Yogi, saying, “Bismillah bolunga aur qurbani de dunga Yogi ki”, which literally translates to “I will invoke Bismillah and sacrifice Yogi.” While making the threat, he symbolically gestured as though performing “qurbani” with his hands.
"Will take Bismillah's name and do the Qurbani of Yogi Adityanath.."
— Treeni (@TheTreeni) December 15, 2024
– An ordinary Indian Muslim threatening to ßeheΔd the Chief Minister of the State of UP. pic.twitter.com/k3veSXJrEg
Preference for Congress over Kejriwal
Many in the group confirmed that they prefer Congress over the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP. They questioned the credibility and style of governance of the Delhi government. One of the Muslim migrant workers dismissed Kejriwal, saying he is “nothing compared to Rahul Gandhi” and added, “Congress is the only national party that can ensure peace and unity among all communities.” Though they acknowledged that the Delhi government has been providing free electricity and water, they stated that Rahul Gandhi is in a better position to challenge the BJP.
Praise for Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal’s CM, Mamata Banerjee, was praised by the Muslim migrant workers. One of them asserted, “Our Didi is doing great in Bengal, and we hope she becomes the Prime Minister in 2029.” However, there was a mixed reaction to these sentiments, as another individual criticised Mamata for her inability to bring large corporate houses to the state.
He said, “If Bengal had jobs, why would we come to Delhi? There’s nothing in Bengal.” He added, “Bengal has 28 districts, but there are no big companies providing jobs. If there were jobs, we wouldn’t need to walk 1,400 kilometres to Delhi.” Interestingly, the same individual who threatened Yogi defended Mamata, claiming, “The government can’t do everything. It’s up to individuals to work hard and survive.” He added, “India is a free country. People can go anywhere for work. The government provides basic facilities; the rest is up to us.”
Political hypocrisy and misplaced priorities
The interviews shed light on the political inclinations of the Muslim migrant workers in Delhi. Such sentiments are important to note, especially with the Delhi Assembly elections around the corner. Notably, the open threat against a sitting CM and the justification of Mamata’s governance failures indicate that there is a deeper issue of communal polarisation, which may impact the election results. It is evident that they were angry over the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the action taken against illegal religious structures belonging to their community.
