Murshidabad police on Tuesday served notices on Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) president and Nawda MLA Humayun Kabir, asking him to appear before investigating officers in two separate suo motu criminal cases over his recent controversial speeches.
Three AJUP activists, who organised the meetings where the speeches were made, were arrested and remanded in police custody.
Police officers, in Kabir’s absence at home, handed over the summonses to his wife, Meera Sultana.
The notices directed the MLA to appear before Saktipur police station at 11am on July 3 and before the Rejinagar police station at 11am the following day for questioning.
The action came a day after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who also holds the home portfolio, issued a stern warning to the AJUP chief in the Assembly on Monday for his provocative speech and declared that the government would establish the rule of law in the state.
Suvendu accused Kabir of repeatedly making inflammatory statements and said two criminal cases had already been registered against him.
The two cases stem from separate public meetings addressed by Kabir in Murshidabad district. One was registered by Rejinagar police after the MLA allegedly made communal and provocative remarks during a rally at Kashipur village.
Kabir allegedly threatened to make BJP’s Behrampore district president Malay Mahajan “disappear” and also made remarks referring to the chief minister while cautioning people against ignoring the police administration.
The second suo motu case was registered by the Saktipur police over allegations that Kabir had threatened and used abusive language against the officer-in-charge of the local police station during another public meeting.
As part of the investigation, the police arrested three AJUP functionaries associated with the meetings. Aminul Islam, convener of the Kashipur rally, and Golam Mostafa, AJUP’s Kashipur regional president, were arrested by the Rejinagar police.
On the other hand, the Saktipur police arrested Anisur Rahman, convener of the Saktipur meeting and AJUP’s Beldanga 2 (west) block convener.
The additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Behrampore sent Aminul and Golam to five days’ police remand. Anisur was sent to seven days’ police custody.
The police action assumes political significance as Kabir has emerged as one of the BJP government’s sharpest critics after winning both the Nawda and Rejinagar Assembly seats in this year’s Assembly election. He has retained Nawda and vacated Rejinagar, where a by-election is due.
The BJP has accused him of attempting to polarise voters ahead of the impending bypoll through inflammatory speeches, an allegation strongly denied by the MLA.
Responding to the police action, Kabir remained defiant but partially withdrew one of his controversial remarks.
“I am not backing down from what I said. We will protest against the way the police are acting unjustly and helping both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. The chief minister himself claimed to be a strong chief minister. People will never accept a weak ruler. We will take to the streets with ordinary people to protest against police injustice. I said one thing wrongly — that I would come out on the streets with one lakh Muslim people. I withdraw only that particular statement,” Kabir said.
Murshidabad superintendent of police Sachin Makkar said: “Police have registered suo motu cases and three persons have already been arrested. The investigation is continuing, and further action will be taken as it progresses.”