"TMC will certainly lose": Jan Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir on West Bengal Assembly Elections

Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], February 1 : Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA and Jan Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir asserted his party's victory in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, adding that "TMC will certainly lose." He also blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for inciting him to give a hate speech in 2024.
Speaking to ANI after an event in Murshidabad on Saturday, Kabir said, "...We will try to defeat them (TMC)...In this election, TMC will certainly lose...At the time (during the campaigning of TMC for the Lok Sabha elections), I had said certain things to ensure that their (TMC) candidate (Yusuf Pathan) wins..."
Earlier in the event, Kabir criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for allegedly practising divide-and-rule politics. Kabir further apologised for his 2024 remarks, alleging that he was compelled to deliver the speech at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's direction. He said that he never hated Hindus.
"Yogi Adityanath, this is not Uttar Pradesh. This is Murshidabad. We live in Murshidabad, and we do not believe in divide-and-rule politics. But if you stand here and keep threatening us, then information will flow, and BJP leaders will be thrown into the Bhagirathi River," he said.
"I am sorry. While keeping Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's words in mind, I hurt the sentiments of my Hindu brothers. I sincerely apologise for that statement of mine. Humayun Kabir will never say anything like this intentionally. Once the anger subsides, you will understand that you can trust me. I am sorry for the statements that were made on 1 May 2024. Many Hindu people believe that I hate Hindus, but at the age of 63, with 42 years of political experience, I have never done anything of that sort. When Murshidabad SP Devas was murdered in broad daylight, 20,000 Muslims were not allowed to receive the body of the deceased. At that time, I was in Gariahat. The SP called me, and I immediately came here. Even then, they stopped the procession," he added.
Earlier in January, Humayun Kabir strongly backed police action in the wake of violent protests in Beldanga area of Murshidabad district, asserting that "anyone involved in wrongdoing, whether from my party or another party, should not be spared."
His remarks came as police arrested 30 people in connection with the Beldanga incident, which erupted following protests over the alleged murder of Alauddin Sheikh, a Bengali migrant worker, in Jharkhand."The public faced many problems because of what happened. I myself went to the area. The law is the same for everyone, and I fully support the police," Kabir said, underlining the need for strict action to restore normalcy.
The Beldanga area has witnessed continued tension over the past two days. On Friday, family members of the deceased and local residents blocked National Highway-12, disrupting vehicular movement. Protesters also set tyres on fire on railway tracks under the Sealdah railway division, leading to the disruption of rail services.