FIR against Mithun Chakraborty for ‘provocative’ statements

The FIR based on complaint, which stated that Mithun Chakraborty’s speech on social media had exhorted people to violence

The Kolkata Police has lodged a case against actor and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly delivering a provocative speech during a party programme last month.

The FIR was drawn on the basis of a complaint by one Kaushik Saha at Bidhannagar South police station, who in his complaint, said that he came across Mr. Chakraborty’s speech on social media where he is heard exhorting people to violence. The case has been registered against the 68-year-old actor under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS).

BJP State president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIR as a result of “vendetta politics”. “There is nothing provocative in his speech. The police have become agents of the ruling party and these are attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool,” Mr. Majumdar said.

The State BJP president said Mr. Chakraborty was recently honoured with India’s highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and instead of a public reception to the actor, the West Bengal government has “honoured” him with an FIR.

The complaint stems from a speech made by the actor-turned-politician at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Complex on October 27 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In his speech, Mr. Chakraborty was heard making reference to the communal remarks made by Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir and threatened violence if BJP supporters were targeted.

Mr. Chakraborty said that if the party was able to get one crore members in the State, then the masnad (throne) of the State in 2026 will be theirs. “We will do anything to get the throne in 2026. I am saying this in the presence of the Home Minister that we will do anything. If you pluck one fruit from our tree, then we will take away four,” he had said.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said that remarks made by the BJP leader were derogatory and if someone wants to take the help of the law for such comments, the law will take its own course.

This is not the first time that Mr. Chakraborty, who is one of the star campaigners of the BJP in West Bengal, has found himself on the wrong side of the law for his remarks made at a political event.

The Calcutta High Court in December 2021 had directed the quashing of an FIR against him for his remarks at a political rally earlier that year. The actor had said, “I am a cobra that can kill you in one strike.”

Published - November 06, 2024 04:30 pm IST