Journalism of Courage
Adding to the charged political discourse in West Bengal, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Madan Mitra said Thursday that his party workers would make “seekh kebab” in the coming panchayat elections in the state, using the metaphor for what was quickly interpreted as a threat to opponents, on the sidelines of a food festival.
“Don’t worry… during this year’s panchayat polls, our boys will make seekh kebab,” Mitra said. “They will grill the flesh, put honey, ghee, butter and lemon to prepare the delicacy.”
The TMC leader went on: “Polling will be over in one or two hours. They do not have any goalkeeper. Our boys will put the ball in their net at least six-seven times.”
The Opposition, which has the 2018 violent panchayat polls as an example, accused Mitra of hinting at the same. At least 12 people were killed on polling day that time, with many seats going uncontested as the Opposition’s candidates were not allowed to even file nomination papers.
It’s not the first time comments by TMC leaders in the run-up to the rural polls, which are expected to be held in April or May, have raised similar heckles. In October 2022, senior party leader and North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha said: “Those who will indulge in violence against our activists will meet a similar fate. In the panchayat polls, we will be ready to give them a befitting reply if they dare indulge in such acts.”.
The same month, Guha asked TMC workers to “pull out” Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik’s beard and moustache for “not visiting” his constituency Dinhata after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In November, a month later, state minister Akhil Giri threatened BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari with physical harm after a dais at a TMC event in Nandigram was vandalised.
Calling Mitra’s comments as made in “poor taste”, BJP leader Sajal Ghosh said: “I have no words to condemn them. This goes to show that TMC leaders do not believe in democracy or democratic norms. But people have made up their minds and they will give them (TMC) a befitting reply in the coming elections.”
Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said the comments were an “attempt to threaten the Opposition”. “They want to intimidate the Opposition parties and that is why such comments are coming at regular intervals. It is a clear indication that the ruling party will stop at nothing to turn the election into a farce.”
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said: “The TMC knows very well that without violence they cannot win the election. It is not surprising to see their leaders speaking in such a manner.”.
The TMC, however, said the comments should not be taken “literally”. “He (Mitra) had gone to a food festival where he made some off-the-cuff comments. What he meant was that the Opposition has no connection with the masses. The TMC will win the panchayat polls without any problem. The words he used were related to the food festival. Those must not be taken literally,” said Kunal Ghosh, the party’s state general secretary.
Mitra himself is not new to controversy over his remarks either. In September last year, when violence broke out during the BJP’s march to the state’s Secretariat, he said: “It would take only 10 minutes for ruling party workers to teach the BJP a lesson if they continue to attack the police and party workers.”
