BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul’s remark on minorities sparks row in Assembly
While speaking at the debate on the interim state budget tabled on Thursday, Paul said that funds allocated for madrasas may not help in uplifting the minorities and instead boost the growth of youth who end up becoming criminals instead of doctors, engineers and teachers.
3 min readKolkataUpdated: Feb 7, 2026 07:39 AM IST
Speaking at the debate on the interim state budget, Paul said that funds allocated for madrasas may not help in uplifting the minorities and will instead cater criminals (File)
Chaos erupted on the third day of the ongoing Assembly budget session on Friday after TMC MLAs protested against their BJP counterpart Agnimitra Paul’s remark over budgetary allocation to madrasas as she claimed the minority community was fostering the growth of criminals due to their exploitation by the state government.
While speaking at the debate on the interim state budget tabled on Thursday, Paul said that funds allocated for madrasas may not help in uplifting the minorities and instead boost the growth of youth who end up becoming criminals instead of doctors, engineers and teachers.
“For years, TMC has shamelessly exploited minorities as nothing more than a vote bank, while deliberately denying their community real development and opportunities. Even the recommendations of the Sachar Committee were conveniently ignored.”
“I challenge Cabinet Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and the Minister in charge of Mass Education Extension Siddiqullah Choudhury to place a white paper before the people of Bengal: in the last 15 years, how many doctors, engineers, IAS, IPS officers or scientists have actually emerged from madrasas and how many youths were instead pushed towards crime due to this failed, deceptive policy?”
Her remarks triggered a row within the House with senior TMC ministers Firhad Hakim and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay condemning her comments and later submitting a letter of protest to Speaker Biman Banerjee, who removed the controversial part of her statement from the Assembly proceedings.
Opposing her remarks in the House, Hakim said, “You hate minorities. Minority does not mean criminals. Do you know how many Muslims died in the freedom struggle? Read and know the history of India’s independence. Withdraw your comment.”
Speaking to the media later, Hakim said, “Agnimitra Paul does not know manners. She has crossed the limits of civility. How dare she call a community criminal? Who is a criminal? APJ Abdul Kalam was a criminal? Poet Nazrul Islam was a criminal? Does she know how many minorities have sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom? Does she know how many Hindus and Muslims are fighting shoulder to shoulder on the border? Minorities share an equal right in this country as her.”
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“The party she is aligned with is criminal because many people have lost their lives in Gujarat. Look at your own leaders. Amit Shah was in jail. Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are all brothers in Bengal. We are not criminals. We are proud Indians,” he added.
Launching a scathing attack on Paul, state minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury told reporters, “What she has done is unconstitutional. She should apologise in the Assembly. Such people don’t know the history of India. They are not aware of the democratic system. They don’t know what secularism is.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
