West Bengal Opposition Leader Accuses Police of Bias Ahead of By-Election

Murshidabad, September 24 (Daily Kiran) : Humayun Kabir, chairman of the Aam Janata Uplift Party (AJUP) and an MLA, staged a protest outside the Reginagar police station in Murshidabad on Thursday. He accused the police of arresting his party leaders and activists to hinder their campaigning efforts for the upcoming by-election.

Sitting on a chair at the main entrance of the police station, Kabir claimed that the police were acting on behalf of the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He warned that if the situation did not improve, he and his supporters would continue their protest on the day of the by-election, scheduled for October 6.

Kabir arrived at the police station with a chair, asserting that activists from other parties were allowed to campaign freely, while his party members were ordered to leave. He demanded the removal of police officers whom he accused of working for the ruling party in Reginagar.

He announced that he would remain outside the police station until 8 AM the following day, accompanied by a female party leader. This protest followed a similar demonstration he held on September 13 outside the Shaktipur police station.

Kabir alleged that police were deliberately arresting several of his party’s leaders before the by-election. Reports indicate that between Saturday night and Sunday morning, police detained several individuals, including Manzoor Rahman, also known as Lebu, Hak Mallik, and Abdul Aleem in Reginagar and Shaktipur. Mohammad Naseem Sheikh, a close associate of Kabir, was arrested from Miyagram in Shaktipur. Rahman’s wife is a member of the Beladanga-2 Panchayat Committee, while Mallik serves as the vice president of the party’s Reginagar block, overseeing six areas. Another individual was arrested on Monday.

Kabir criticized the administration for arbitrarily detaining his supporters, suggesting that they could arrest him as well if they wished. He has already written to the Election Commission regarding these arrests, alleging that the Superintendent of Police in Baharampur is directly attempting to influence the elections.

Kabir previously won elections from both the Reginagar and Nauda constituencies but later vacated the Reginagar seat. His son is now the candidate for the by-election, and Kabir claims that his party is being denied the opportunity to campaign effectively, with police allegedly siding with the ruling party.