Owaisi dumps Kabir after sting video alleges ‘1,000cr BJP deal’

Kolkata/Rampurhat: Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM severed its electoral alliance with Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party on Friday, a day after a purported sting video surfaced showing a person resembling Kabir discussing a Rs 1,000 crore arrangement with BJP in exchange for post-election support — and saying Muslim voters needed to be "misled" to achieve the desired poll outcome.

Additionally, Khaobayeb Amin, president of Kabir's party quit his post as did Moinul Haque, the treasurer of West Bengal Islamic Foundation, which was formed for the mosque Kabir plans to build.


"Humayun Kabir's revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal's Muslims are. AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question," the party said on X, announcing it would contest the Bengal elections independently. The alliance, announced weeks earlier, had envisaged AJUP contesting 182 of Bengal's 294 seats and AIMIM fielding candidates in 17.

The 19-minute video, titled ‘The Reality of HK' and released by Trinamool, was said to have been recorded on Dec 19 last year but could not be independently verified. Kabir dismissed it as AI-generated, alleging Trinamool was trying to discredit him out of fear of losing Muslim support, and said he would move court over the matter.

BJP distanced itself. Union home minister Amit Shah said the party had no connection with Kabir. "Humayun Kabir and BJP are like the south pole and the north pole — we can never align. We would rather sit in opposition for another 20 years than sit alongside those who propose to build the Babri Masjid in Bengal," he said — notable given that Kabir had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket. The split was visible on the ground. A joint AIMIM-AJUP rally in Birbhum's Rampurhat proceeded with Kabir present but no AIMIM netas in attendance.

Trinamool was dismissive of AIMIM's exit. "Now, to save face, they are trying to flee," said party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, reacting to Shah's remarks, said: "Since he said they are willing to sit in opposition for 20 years, I believe he has sensed the mood on the ground."
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