Kolkata: The political atmosphere in Bengal—a state already brimming with tension between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—intensified on Sunday. This escalation followed comments from BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty in Kolkata, in the run-up to the upcoming by-polls for six Assembly seats. Chakraborty referenced a prior controversial remark made by Trinamool’s Humayun Kabir, who had previously threatened opposing party workers on religious grounds, a statement censured by the Election Commission. Chakraborty echoed this sentiment, urging BJP supporters to “chop them (up) and bury them in the ground,” igniting controversy with his combative language.
Chakraborty continued, mentioning a remark by a leader on the religious demographics in Bengal, and expressed disappointment at the Chief Minister’s lack of response to such divisive comments. “I am not the Chief Minister,” he stated, “but I am saying this: we will do anything to win the masnad (throne) of Bengal in the 2026 Assembly election.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, present at the event, had earlier congratulated Chakraborty on his recent Dadasaheb Phalke Award honor. Addressing supporters, Chakraborty reiterated the BJP’s determination, emphasizing, “we will do anything” to win the election.
The violent rhetoric followed a similar controversial statement by Kabir in May, where he reportedly declared, “You are 30 percent (Hindus) here, but we are 70 percent (Muslims). If you think you can demolish mosques, I will drown you in the Bhagirathi.”
Chakraborty’s speech also included a challenge to Trinamool, inviting BJP supporters who “will stand and say, ‘Shoot me; let’s see how many bullets you have.’”
Trinamool responded swiftly, dismissing Chakraborty’s remarks, with party General Secretary Jay Prakash Majumdar labeling him a political non-entity and questioning if he, like Kabir, would be censured by the Election Commission.
Amit Shah, prior to Chakraborty’s remarks, had accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government of “state-sponsored infiltration” and declared BJP’s intent to secure a two-thirds majority in the 2026 election, aiming to end violence and instill security in Bengal.