Panaji: Senior BJP leaders and ideological affiliates used the fourth edition of Panchjanya’s Goa Sagar Manthan: Sushasan Samvad to project what they described as a larger civilisational and ideological contest facing the country, while Opposition leaders later mounted a sharp rebuttal, particularly over remarks on West Bengal.
Addressing the gathering, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santhosh said: “To save India, West Bengal must be won,” framing the political battle in the state as a civilisational struggle rather than a routine electoral contest. He said the BJP viewed power not as an end in itself but as a means to advance its ideology in the national interest, adding that wherever the party had received a mandate, it had sought to translate its ideas into governance.
Responding to questions on the election of the BJP’s national president, Santhosh said the process had been underway for the past eight to nine months and dismissed allegations of any conspiracy. He attributed the delay to prevailing electoral circumstances and stressed that the party functioned democratically, allowing internal disagreement while maintaining organisational autonomy. He also accused Opposition parties of weakening constitutional institutions and said that while the BJP was prepared to face political opposition, any attempt to destabilise the country must be condemned.
Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, speaking at the event, cited Quranic teachings to argue that no individual, including the Prophet, was permitted to violate the laws of the land. Referring to demands for the imposition of Sharia law in some European countries, Khan said challenging a country’s legal framework was wrong even from a Quranic perspective. He also emphasised religious freedom, citing the Quranic injunction against compulsion in religion, and questioned interpretations that legitimise practices carried out under coercion. Khan noted that saffron, referred to as ‘Zafran’, is the only colour explicitly mentioned in the Quran.
RSS leader Pradeep Joshi described India as a fundamentally spiritual civilisation and said the Sangh’s century-long journey was rooted in the inclusive ideal of Hindutva and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
Following the event, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose released a video statement criticising Santhosh’s remarks on West Bengal, calling them “absurd”. She said Bengal had played a defining role in shaping Indian civilisation, citing figures such as Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and accused the BJP of lacking a genuine civilisational ethos.