The politician who had openly threatened to beat BJP workers with sticks and break their bones cut a very different figure on Monday. After Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confronted him directly in the West Bengal Assembly, Humayun Kabir stepped outside the chamber and told reporters that he had never made any statement against the BJP in the first place.
The Inflammatory Remarks in Murshidabad on June 26
On June 26, Humayun Kabir delivered a series of highly inflammatory remarks at a workers' conference in Murshidabad. He warned that BJP workers would be subjected to what he called "saita bhanga", which means beaten with sticks and having their bones broken. He also declared that once his patience ran out and his temper got the better of him, he would not care about the SP or any other senior official. Around the same time, he visited Shaktipur in Murshidabad and issued direct threats to the local police. These statements became the flashpoint for the confrontation that unfolded in the assembly on Monday.
Suvendu Adhikari Delivers a Sharp Rebuke Inside the Assembly
Standing in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari turned his attention directly to Humayun Kabir. He said that Mamata Banerjee is no longer the Chief Minister, and charged that Humayun had taken advantage of weak political leadership at the top to say whatever came to his mind. Suvendu told him plainly that no one had granted him such sweeping authority.
Suvendu also laid out what he described as Humayun's two specific political agendas. The first, he alleged, was Humayun's effort to break up all the panchayats in Bharatpur, Nauda, and Rejinagar and absorb them into his own party, a move that had not worked out. The second agenda, according to Suvendu, relates to the fact that Humayun had won from two seats. He alleged that Humayun intends to resign from Rejinagar under the applicable rules, trigger a by-election there, and then get his own son elected from that seat. Suvendu charged that the inflammatory speeches were designed to consolidate Muslim votes in pursuit of both these goals.
Suvendu left Humayun with an unmistakable warning, saying he would not allow him to continue issuing such unchecked threats and making reckless statements. He said enough was enough and that the time had come to teach a lesson.
Humayun Immediately Changes His Tune
The moment Humayun Kabir stepped outside the assembly after Suvendu's warning, his language shifted sharply. He told reporters that he personally holds no grudge against the BJP. He said the law would take its own course, that he is not above the law, and that he has full faith in it.
Humayun Points to His Track Record with Past Cases
To support his position, Humayun brought up his history with legal cases. He said that during the CPM's 34 years in power, 27 cases were filed against him, but not a single one resulted in a conviction and he received a clean chit in every case. During the TMC's period in government, 7 cases were registered in his name, and those too failed to establish that he had committed any crime or wrongdoing against anyone. He expressed confidence that the current administration would similarly be unable to prove any charge against him.
Humayun Offers a Different Reading of His Own Words
Turning to the substance of his Murshidabad speech, Humayun offered what he described as the correct interpretation of his remarks. He said that goons who used to attack him under Mamata Banerjee's political cover are now receiving protection from the police, a situation he called extremely dangerous in a democracy. He said that at the workers' conference, he had simply told party workers that if police stations continue to shelter TMC goons and troublemakers, conflict is inevitable, and that he would not compromise on this point. He was emphatic that his comments were not directed personally against anyone in the BJP or against the current ruling party.
