Don't Act As Opposition Agent: Trinamool Leader To Cop In Purported Video

Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir courted controversy on Sunday when he allegedly asked an officer-in-charge of a police station to stop acting as an agent of opposition parties or be ready for transfer.

Mr Kabir, the TMC MLA from Bharatpur in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was heard making the remarks in a purported video, which has gone viral on social media.

It showed him addressing people during a party workers' meeting.

"Tarzan (a local party activist) was called up by the OC (Bharatpur). I have told Tarzan, the OC will either stop acting as agent (of opposition) or be ready for transfer in 48 hours."

"If necessary, I will go to the police station and sit in front of the OC putting my feet on his table. You (OC) will automatically realise what stuff I am made of," said Kabir in the video, the veracity of which PTI could not independently verify.

TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh said it was not clear whether the video was an old recording, and that the ruling party will talk to Kabir "as we don't approve of such utterances". Opposition BJP criticised Kabir, alleging that several TMC leaders speak in such rude language.

"Kabir's comments reflect the ruling party's attitude towards police," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.

The TMC MLA, however, denied that he threatened the police officer.

"I only cautioned him that he should not work in favour of any party. He had refused permission for a TMC programme near the police station. He should not do such things," Kabir said.

He joined the TMC and left the party in 2018 to be a part of the BJP. After his loss in the Lok Sabha polls, he came back to the Mamata Banerjee-led party before the assembly polls and won from Bharatpur.