The Bhojpuri version of 'Khela Hobe'! SP mimics TMC’s chilling war-cry; posters proclaim ‘2022 mein Khela hoi’ in UP

Carrying off the slogans from the Trinamool Congress campaign in West Bengal elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has started putting up hoardings with the slogan ‘2022 mein Khela Hoi’ (game will happen in 2022). Hoardings and posters with this tagline have come up in Kanpur and Varanasi. The threatening sub-text of this slogan in light of the post-poll pogrom unleashed in WB by TMC has not been lost on political observers.

 

 

 

Former SP MLA Haji Abdul Samad Ansari has started painting the Bhojpuri version of the slogan, ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to be held early next year. The paintings put up by Samad carry SP’s symbol ‘bicycle’ and slogans ‘Umeed ki cycle’ and ‘2022 mein Khela Hoyi’.

 

 

Samad noted that "SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav has released the party’s slogan for forthcoming Assembly election, ‘2022 me bicycle. Considering the mood of the people in the Bhojpuri belt of east UP, we also created a slogan ‘2022 me khela hoyi’ as people are upset due to lies and promises of the BJP. They are enthused after The Trinamool taught a bitter lesson to the BJP in the recently held West Bengal election.”

 

 

While media outlets accepted Ansari’s statement at face value, they failed to inform readers of the chilling import of the ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan. The war cry was first coined by a Bangladeshi politician 4 years ago, and was popularised in West Bengal by murder accused TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal, who at a local political event said, ‘Khela hobe. Bhoyonkor khela hobe. Ei maati tei khela hobe‘, which means 'The game will happen. It will be a dangerous game. The game will be played in this battleground'.

 

 

Mamata Banerjee used the slogan during election speeches to warn BJP workers and voters of the fate that awaited them after the elections, and those threats came true with a vengeance after May 2. In this situation, the threat to Hindus of UP is very clear and must not be taken lightly. UP CM Yogi Adityanath should crack down on elements like SP leader Haji Abdul Samad Ansari who are dreaming of repeating the events of WB in UP. Ordinary Hindus also need to prepare and mobilise themselves for self defense. 

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