The political atmosphere in Bengal – an already frenzied battleground between the ruling Trinamool and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, before by-polls to six Assembly seats next month – soured further Sunday after actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty‘s message of violence in Kolkata.
Chakraborty, 74, referred to a pre-Lok Sabha election comment by the Trinamool’s Humayun Kabir – who had threatened rival party workers on religious grounds, and was censured by the Election Commission – and called on BJP karyakartas to “chop them (up) and bury you in the ground”.
“A leader says there are 70 per cent Muslims and 30 per cent Hindus (and) that he will ‘cut’ and throw them in the Bhagirathi… I thought Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) would say something. She didn’t… so now I am saying, we will chop them (up) and bury them in the ground…” he said.
“I am not the Chief Minister… but I am saying this,” the 74-year-old raged, “We will do anything to win the masnad (throne) of Bengal… it will belong to the BJP after the 2026 Assembly election.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was present at the event; he had just felicitated the National Award-winning actor for being presented with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on October 8.
“I am saying it again and again… we will do anything (to win the 2026 election) … anything. I am saying this with Home Minister Amit Shahji sitting here – we will do anything,” he warned ominously.
Chakraborty, 74, repeated this threat, calling the river “our mother” and declaring, “I say we will cut you up and throw you, not in the Bhagirathi because that is our mother, but we will throw you in the ground”, as the camera cuts to Mr Shah and other senior BJP leaders looking on with smiles.
Chakraborty then slammed the stand and said, “We will do anything… we will do anything”, and accused the Bengal state government of not allowing the Hindu community to cast votes.
The violent rhetoric followed Kabir’s equally shocking comment in May, as he was campaigning for the party’s Lok Sabha election candidate in Murshidabad district
At a rally he reportedly said, “You are 30 per cent (of the people here) but we are 70 per cent… if you think you can demolish mosques and Muslims will sit back and relax… (you are wrong). I will leave politics if I don’t drown you people in the Bhagirathi…”
“Shoot Me… Let’s See How Many Bullets”
The actor – speaking at a membership drive – then called on BJP supporters to join the party’s karyakartas. “We want those people who will fight… who can stand up and say, ‘Shoot me… let me see how many bullets you have’,” he said, taking a swipe at the Trinamool over multiple incidents of pre- and post-poll violence in the state, “But we don’t want those who join for money.”
Chakraborty then also offered up a second violent threat. “If you cut down one fruit from our trees… we will cut down four of yours,” he said, as Mr Shah continued to look on impassively.
“No One Takes Him Seriously…”
The Trinamool hit back swiftly; party General Secretary Jay Prakash Majumdar was quoted by a national news channel as dismissing Chakraborty as an inconsequential figure.
“No one takes him seriously as a political leader… the leader (the Trinamool’s Kabir) whose comment he spoke about was censured (by the Election Commission). But now, in the presence of Amit Shah, Mithun Chakraborty is saying this… will be also be censured now?” Majumdar asked.
Amit Shah Slams Mamata
Before Chakraborty’s incendiary speech Amit Shah spoke, accusing the Chief Minister and her Trinamool of “state-sponsored infiltration”, declaring the BJP will form the next government.
“There is state-sponsored infiltration in Bengal and the only way to stop this is to elect the BJP in 2026… Instead of Rabindrasangeet, today you hear bombs,” he said.
READ | Instead Of Rabindrasangeet, Bengal Hears Bombs: Amit Shah
“In 2026, BJP will form government with two-thirds majority” he declared.
And Majumdar laughed off Shah’s “pathetic statement”, pointing out the BJP had made similar claims before the 2019 and 2024 general elections, and the last Assembly election, only to lose each time.
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