Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS) : Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder-cum-legislator Humayun Kabir on Wednesday said he would not attend the West Bengal Assembly session as long as Suvendu Adhikari is the Chief Minister of the state. He also hinted that he may take voluntary retirement from active politics.
“I will not go to the West Bengal Assembly and will also not attend any session of the House as long as Suvendu Adhikari is the Chief Minister of the state. For that, I will also apologize to the people of Naoda Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district. If necessary, I will take a voluntary retirement from my political life,” Kabir told media persons on Wednesday afternoon.
In the assembly polls held earlier this year, Kabir got elected from two constituencies — Naoda and Rejinagar, both in the Murshidabad district. Later, he chose to retain Naoida and resigned from Rejinagar, for which the bypoll was held on Tuesday.
Kabir was arrested in Rejinagar in the morning on Tuesday at the time of polling, with charges slapped on him of moving from one booth to another in an unauthorised manner, influencing voters, intimidating police personnel, and even holding an on-duty police officer by his collar.
In the Rejinagar bypoll, his son Golam Nabi Azad is the AJUP candidate.
He remained detained at Rejinagar police station for 12 hours and was later released. On Wednesday, he spoke to the media, and there he expressed his desire not to go to the Assembly till the time Adhikari continues as the Chief Minister.
“Is this a democratic system where a police sub-inspector can forcibly pick up an MLA and detain him for 12 hours without any specific reason? I protest against the way the police under Shuvendu Adhikari tortured the people of Rejinagar for the last two months. Adhikari is the Chief Minister and also the state police minister. Humayun Kabir will not do politics at the mercy of a police minister like him,” Kabir added.
He also said he will continue his work of public service for Naoda Assembly Constituency but without going to the Assembly.
“I will not attend meetings called by the Assembly’s minority affairs committee, house committee, business advisory committee, any all-party meeting or any meeting convened by the Speaker of the House. The seat number 88 reserved for me in the House will remain vacant henceforth. A political party chief is not safe in his own party office. The police dragged me from there. That is why my mind is not ready to accept this democratic mockery,” he said.
“I will take the opinion of the people of Naoda in the coming days. If they give permission, I can also give up the MLA post. I will also give up active politics if they ask,” Kabir added.
