'Ghosh insulted Bengalis and Bengal': TMC MLA Rahim Bakshi defends ‘pour acid’ remark; BJP calls it ‘Taliban regime’

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abdur Rahim Bakshi has issued a clarification after a controversy erupted over his remarks threatening to "pour acid" into BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh's mouth.

Bakshi defended himself, saying his comments were triggered by Ghosh’s alleged statement in the Assembly that "all migrant workers are Rohingya and Bangladeshi." He argued such remarks amounted to an insult against Bengalis.


"In the Vidhan Sabha, a BJP MLA made a statement that all migrant workers are Rohingya and Bangladeshi. This is completely false. We're Indians, we're Bengalis. How could he say that? He insulted Bengalis and Bengal. That's why I made that statement. A Bengali MLA can't say such things against Bengalis. That's why I suggested pouring acid down his throat, so his throat closes and he never says these things again," Bakshi told news agency ANI.

BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh hit back, condemning the remarks and likening the political atmosphere in West Bengal to a “Taliban regime.”

"I don't know whether they are called MLAs or criminals. You can judge how Mamata Banerjee runs this state by this MLA's statement that he will pour acid on the BJP MLAs. The hooliganism spread all over West Bengal can be compared with the Taliban regime. Mamata Banerjee is trying to establish such a regime through appeasement politics and muscle power. These TMC MLAs like Rahim Bakshi are always threatening to kill us. Such threats will not stop us from working for the people and opposing their government," Ghosh said.

The backlash was quick, with both BJP and Congress leaders denouncing Bakshi.

Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: "I have nothing to say about him. He will go to jail as soon as the BJP comes to power. He is anti-national."

BJP’s Pradeep Bhandari accused TMC of intimidation tactics: "This clearly shows that TMC wants to threaten the people of Bengal who expose their support of infiltrators and Rohingyas for their vote bank. I want to tell Mamata Banerjee that she can do whatever she wants. BJP workers will not bow down, be afraid, or stop, because they believe in PM Modi's development vision."

West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar also demanded strict action: "I strongly condemn it. What is the difference between him and a criminal?. I appeal to the public to identify such people and make them face defeat in the elections. I appeal to his party (Trinamool Congress) to take strict action against him and suspend him from the party..."

Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh sought to downplay the controversy, claiming Bakshi’s remark was being misinterpreted and was actually a reference to the Bollywood film Tezaab.

"I don't know what he said. There was a song 'Ek Do Teen' in the movie 'Tezaab'. What Shankar Ghosh is saying is foul Abdur Rahim Bakshi gets angry, but he is not talking about physically using acid on him. He is counting how many times Shankar Ghosh is doing something wrong by counting 'Ek, Do, Teen'," he said.