Dilip Ghosh backs nationwide Turkey boycott, warns of economic war over 'betrayal'

Former MP and BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, during a morning walk at Newtown Eco Park on Thursday, voiced strong support for a nationwide boycott of Turkey. Citing alleged betrayals by Turkey, Ghosh stated that the country has “crossed all limits of tolerance” and predicted that other nations may also follow India’s lead in cutting ties with Turkey.

Ghosh said, “India has always stood for humanity. India does what it can. That is our culture.” He accused Turkey of exceeding the boundaries of acceptable international conduct and described the situation as a “financial war.” According to him, this movement is not limited to official circles. “Not just the government—awareness has awakened among the common people of the country. They too have started chanting slogans of ‘Boycott Turkey.’”

He drew parallels to the 2020 boycott of Chinese goods, asserting that it had caused an estimated loss of ₹50,000 crore to China. “China sells a lot of goods in India. Two years ago, before Diwali, there was a call to boycott China. As a result, they suffered a business loss of ₹50,000 crore,” Ghosh claimed. “The Indian market has 1.5 billion people. This market is attractive to everyone.”

Ghosh emphasized that any country seeking to access India’s vast consumer market must treat India with respect. “If you want to benefit from it, you have to behave respectfully with us. Otherwise, India has the power to take revenge,” he said, warning of India's retaliatory potential in economic terms.

On the issue of India's diplomatic strength, Ghosh referred to the return of a fighter pilot named Abhimanyu in the past and connected it to the recent return of individuals identified only as Poornam and a lawyer. “Back then, if we could bring back a fighter pilot like Abhimanyu, then much water has flowed since. India is now a strong and capable country,” he said. “We had full faith that India would bring back its soldiers. That has come true.”

Separately, BJP MP Arjun Singh advised party leaders to communicate their views directly to the party. “Tell the party. Express your own opinions. People know what suits whom. Who am I to say anything?” he said. In parallel, supporters of West Bengal’s ruling party posted satirical messages on social media crediting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with various national-level outcomes, including claims such as “India won a war against Pakistan because of Mamata” and “nuclear bombs were destroyed because of Mamata.”