War of words over Mothabari; Cong’s Mausam demands election deferred
The Statesman | 4 April 2026
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed “outsiders” like All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and The Indian Secular Front (ISF), the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, for orchestrating the Mothabari incident involving the confinement of judges. The BJP leaders on Friday raised counter-allegations, questioning possible links between Trinamul Congress functionaries and the arrested accused.
Union minister of state for education Sukanta Majumdar asked whether there was any connection between a Trinamul minority cell leader and Mofakkerul Islam, who was arrested in connection with the incident. “Mofakkerul is a resident of Itahar, and a senior TMC minority cell leader also hails from the same area. Investigating agencies should probe this angle seriously,” he said, adding that there were inputs suggesting that the accused was planning to flee towards Nepal when he was apprehended by the CID.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari, who is in charge of the party’s election campaign in Siliguri, claimed in a social media post that a video showed Trinamul leader Sabina Yeasmin among protesters, who allegedly confined judicial officers in Kaliachak, Malda. Ms Yeasmin, the outgoing MLA from Mothabari and a minister, is contesting from Sujapur Assembly constituency—an area where Mofakkerul Islam had reportedly addressed gatherings.
Mr Bhandari also alleged that “democracy has been crushed in Bengal for appeasement” and cited remarks of the Supreme Court of India to criticise the state government.
Significantly, Mausam Noor, a former Rajya Sabha MP elected on a Trinamul Congress ticket, who has since returned to the Congress and is contesting from Malatipur Assembly segment, also raised concerns over the electoral process. “People will not forgive the large-scale deletion of names from the voter list. First ensure the voters, then the vote. If the rolls are not properly prepared, how can elections be conducted? Why is the poll not being postponed?” she said.
Ms Noor further added that the Congress has been protesting on the issue and called for a united opposition movement. “All opposition parties should come together to protect the democratic rights of the people. As contesting candidates, we are unable to approach voters and seek votes under such circumstances,” she said.