Former Rajya Sabha Member and Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty stirred an already charged political atmosphere in West Bengal on Sunday with his inflammatory speech directed at an earlier statement made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Humayun Kabir. The incident comes just weeks before upcoming by-elections for six Assembly seats in the state, intensifying hateful bickering between the two major parties.
Chakraborty, speaking at a BJP membership drive event inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, issued a call to action for BJP supporters, responding to what he described as communal threats made by Kabir earlier this year.
“A leader says there are 70 percent Muslims and 30 percent Hindus… that he will ‘cut’ and throw them in the Bhagirathi river,” Chakraborty said, referencing Kabir’s comments before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He continued, “I thought the Chief Minister [Mamata Banerjee] would say something. She didn’t, so now I am saying—we will chop them and bury them underground.”
His remarks, delivered before an enthusiastic crowd and the Union Home Minister, marked an escalation in the rhetoric between TMC and BJP leaders. “We will do anything to win the masnad [throne] of Bengal… it will belong to the BJP after the 2026 Assembly election,” Chakraborty added, reiterating the party’s commitment to victory and underscoring his defiant tone with a promise to “do anything” to secure the electoral outcome.
Chakraborty’s statements were a pointed response to comments made by Kabir during an election rally in Murshidabad earlier this year. Kabir, campaigning for a TMC candidate in May 2024, had referenced the Muslim community’s majority in the area, stating, “You are 30 percent… we are 70 percent. If you think you can demolish mosques and Muslims will sit back… I will drown you in the Bhagirathi.”
The Election Commission had reportedly issued a formal reprimand to Kabir.
Chakraborty also claimed that the TMC-led state government prevented the Hindu community from voting freely, an accusation often made by BJP leaders in Bengal.
Prof. Bipin Bhattacharya, a political analyst based in Kolkata, described the rhetoric as “worrisome,” adding that “the rise in such inflammatory statements reflects a worrying trend of communal polarization as Bengal moves toward the 2026 Assembly elections.” He warned that such language, if left unchecked, could create ripples of tension among communities already divided along political and religious lines.
The BJP has not officially commented on Chakraborty’s remarks, nor has the TMC responded to the latest developments. The lack of attention from major political leaders raises questions about accountability, especially in light of the ongoing efforts by the Election Commission to monitor inflammatory rhetoric during campaigns. However, experts & local sources note that the charged environment could signal further escalation in the run-up to the next state elections.
