Kolkata: West Bengal is one state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to conquer despite going all out to topple Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The political atmosphere in the frenzied eastern India state heated up ahead of next month’s byelections to six Assembly seats after actor-turned politician Mithun Chakraborty delivered a message of violence in Kolkata.
Referring to a pre-Lok Sabha election comment by the TMC’s Humayun Kabir — who had threatened rival party workers on religious grounds and was censured by the Election Commission – BJP leader Mithun threatened to ‘chop up’ the TMC leader and bury him, reported NDTV.
“A leader says there are 70 per cent Muslims and 30 per cent Hindus (and) that he will ‘cut’ and throw them in the Bhagirathi… I thought Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) would say something. She didn’t… so now I am saying, we will chop them (up) and bury them in the ground,” thundered Mithun, who was recently conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke award.
The 74-year-old leader went on to challenge TMC in the state Assembly elections.
“We will do anything to win the masnad (throne) of Bengal… it will belong to the BJP after the 2026 Assembly election,” Mithun said at a BJP membership drive event in Kolkata where Union Home minister Amit Shah was present.
“I am saying it again and again… we will do anything (to win the 2026 election) … anything. I am saying this with Home Minister Amit Shah ji sitting here – we will do anything,” Mithun raged.
Repeating his threat, Mithun declared, “I say we will cut you up and throw you, not in the Bhagirathi (river) because that is our mother, but we will throw you in the ground.”