Trinamool, BJP in war of words over political links of Malda ‘mastermind’

KOLKATA: The arrest of Mofakkerul Islam — an AIMIM candidate in the 2021 polls — for allegedly masterminding the Kaliachak violence set off a sharp political confrontation between Trinamool and BJP on Friday.

Trinamool, in a post on X, named three people it claimed had "orchestrated the unrest in Malda": a Bihar police observer posted in Malda who was removed after the party complained he was married to a BJP senior from Bihar; ISF Mothabari candidate Maulana Shahjahan Ali Qadri, arrested for organising the agitation; and Islam himself.





"BJP is running a full-scale operation to destabilise Bengal through their multi-layered agents. Bengal has identified every player. Bengal has connected every dot," the party said.

AIMIM distanced itself from the arrests. Bengal AIMIM chief Imran Solanki said those involved were "not linked to any political party but were citizens whose names were removed from the voter list."

BJP hit back through Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar, who questioned the CID's swift arrest of Islam and displayed photographs of him sharing a stage with CM Mamata Banerjee. "Whether someone else is behind this or not, Trinamool is definitely involved," he said.

On reports of Islam going live on Facebook while in CID custody, Majumdar said: "If true, it supports my allegation that the CID was directed to arrest him so that he could live peacefully. If the NIA arrests him, their treatment will be harsh."

Trinamool's Sujapur candidate Sabina Yeasmin, accused by BJP of participating in the Kaliachak protests, distanced herself from the violence. "What happened there was wrong. Judicial officers are like guests to us and should have been allowed to do their work. Whatever fight there is, we will fight for our rights — but not by breaking the law," she said.