West Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari warns of action against AJUP’s Humayun Kabir

WEst Bengal chief government minister Suvendu Adhikari on mon warned of process against Aam Janata Unnayan company (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir o'er his alleged remarks against the former, the police, and for threatening to mobilise people to take to the streets and fill the local prison in Murshidabad.“Enough is enough. The time has come for such persons to learn a lesson. I am warning you against making such remarks. Control yourself, withdraw such statements, and think at least 25 times before making such remarks in the future,” Adhikari said in the state assembly.Kabir purportedly said he would not acknowledge Adhikari and the police once he loses control, while hitting out at local ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anamika Ghosh. The videos of the purported comments surfaced on social media and triggered a row.“Even after losing the election, the BJP candidate Anamika Ghosh still thinks that she is the MLA [assembly member]. The BJP thinks that they have their MLA here. I told Suvendu Adhikari the other day that you wanted to win the election, and your party did that. That is fine. But tell your people to tone down in Murshidabad. The day I mobilise the Muslims and take to the streets, I will strike back so hard that there won’t be anyone left to even carry your party flag,” Adhikari quoted Kabir as saying.Kabir could be purportedly heard saying that no more than 4,800 would fit in the Berhampore central jail, and he would unleash people on the streets and strike hard. “We would then go to jail. I will see how many days you can keep us in jail and feed us.”He is heard saying that the day before the elections, the officer in charge of the local police station arrested his nephew, while calling for his removal and giving him an unimportant posting. “If not, I would take 10,000 men to the police station and drag him out by his collar. Stop me if u can.”Adhikari said Mamata Banerjee is not the chief minister anymore. “You have said and done whatever you felt like, as you had a weak chief minister. Two cases have been registered in Rejinagar and Shaktipur police stations. No one has given you such powers. I know the political reason behind such steps of yours. One of your agendas was to dismantle all the elected panchayats in Bharatpur, Rejinagar, and Nowda and make the leaders join your party. But you are not able to do that. You won from two assemblies. As per the law, you have resigned from Rejinagar. By-elections would be held in the next two to three months. You are trying to ensure your son’s victory from that seat. You are playing this game to consolidate the Muslim vote,” Adhikari said.Adhikari said those who invited Kabir will be picked up first. “I will do whatever it takes. You can well assume that this is his last statement. This government will establish the rule of law and end the rule of goons.”Minutes after Adhikari’s warnings, Kabir said his remarks were political and intended against BJP leaders, attacking him with the police by their side. “That is why I hit out against them politically. Being the chief minister, he [Adhikari] can make such statements. I cannot oppose him. He has the freedom. Ahead of the by-election, if anyone hurls a stone at my candidate, I am not going to serve them Rasgollas in turn.”He said they all wanted a change for good governance. “But if the people of Rejinagar, Nowda and Beldanga are treated differently from the rest of the people of the state, then such things would happen, and we would go to jail,” said Kabir.Trinamool Congress (TMC) suspended Kabir for laying the foundation stone of a mosque modelled after Ayodhya’s demolished Babri Masjid on December 6 and launching AJUP to contest the elections in alliance with parties such as the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM). The AIMIM ended the alliance with Kabir’s party ahead of the polls after the TMC released a clip purportedly featuring Kabir saying he was in touch with the BJP. Kabir was heard saying he was mobilising Muslim votes against the then-ruling TMC in exchange for ₹1,000 crore.