Humayun Kabir, the suspended Trinamool Congress MLA from Bharatpur and the leader of the Janata Unnayan Party, on Saturday claimed he had to deliver provocative speeches before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls “on chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s
instructions”.
Addressing a well-attended gathering organised under the banner of his newly formed JUP at Maradighi village in Murshidabad’s Rejinagar, Kabir said sorry to people “hurt” by his provocative speeches.
“I seek apologies for my speech that had hurt a section of people and Hindus. I promise the mistake will never be repeated,” said Kabir.
He said that before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata had asked him to do something as the prospects of Trinamool candidates Yusuf Pathan in Behrampore and Abu Taher Khan in Murshidabad were not appearing bright.
“This had happened during a Trinamool rally in Burwan of the district. The chief
minister asked this in private. As a result I had to say all these (provocative things) to counter Yogi Adityanath of the BJP,” said Kabir.
The Trinamool Congress said Kabir was lying.
“During the meetings of the chief minister ahead of the 2024 polls, I was with the chief minister all the time. I never saw the chief minister speaking to Kabir in private. What he said is an utter lie,” said Apurba Sarkar, the Trinamool MLA from Kandi and the party’s Murshidabad district president.
Kabir’s attempt to hold a rally in Brigade Parade Ground in Calcutta failed after he did not get an NoC from the army.
“We will hold a meeting in Brigade Parade Ground in the last week of March if we get permission from the army. In all likelihood, Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM and ISF leaders would be present in the meeting,” he said.
Enthused by the crowds on Saturday, Kabir requested all parties to come on the same platform to defeat Trinamool and the BJP.
“Neither Trinamool nor the BJP will form a government in Bengal. We will decide who will form the next government,” Kabir said.
Representatives of AIMIM, SDPI, All India Union Muslim League, Azad Samaj Party were present.