West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim in Kolkata. File photo | Photo Credit: PTI
The Trinamool Congress on Friday alleged that arrested Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA Naushad Siddiqui was acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Senior Trinamool Congress leaders Firhad Hakim and Kunal Ghosh held a press conference on Friday, alleging that Mr. Siddiqui had received money from the BJP.
On Friday, a court in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas sent Mr. Siddiqui to police custody for six days. The lone MLA of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) was arrested on January 21 after violence broke out in Bhangar and Esplanade and left several police personnel injured.
“We used to call AIMIM the B-team of the BJP from Hyderabad. But it is so unfortunate that we have to call Naushad and BJP’s ISF B-Team. The state PWD minister also alleged that huge funds were transferred to Mr. Siddiqui ahead of the 2021 assembly elections.
“We are here because some facts have come to the fore after some shocking claims were made by the Kolkata Police. We want to know the source of money in Naushad Siddiqui’s bank account? And these are not the claims made by us, it is the Kolkata Police which has put these facts in the public domain,” a Trinamool Congress press statement quoted Firhad Hakim and Kunal Ghosh as saying.
Mr Ghosh also alleged that the ISF MLA and BJP leaders exchanged some messages and questioned why an ISF leader whose party was in alliance with the Left parties and the Congress spoke to the BJP. Trinamool leaders also hit out at BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari and said that Mr. Adhikari who had openly said that he did not care about 30% minority votes, is today claiming to be the leader of Muslims.
After Mr. Siddiqui’s arrest, Mr. Adhikari urged ISF leaders to join forces with the BJP to fight the Trinamool. The arrest of the ISF MLA along with his supporters has become a political issue, with several Muslim leaders including those from Furfura Sharif, a major religious shrine in south Bengal, targeting the Trinamool over the development.
“BJP leaders are trying to confuse Muslim voters. Instead of making misleading statements, first they should announce NRC and CAA will not be implemented. He should apologize for saying such things. In fact, BJP is not a friend of any religion like Hindu, Muslim, Christian,” Mr Ghosh said on social media.