April 01, 2026 03:09 pm (IST)
Follow us:
TMC leader Firhad Hakim's "mini Pakistan" remark about his constituency sparks row
Kolkata, Apr 30 (IBNS) Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim's remarks to describe his Muslim-dominated assembly constituency Garden Reach as a "mini Pakistan" to a Pakistani journalist has triggered a huge row with the BJP immediately slamming the TMC legislator and minister and taking a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Pakistan's Dawn covering Bengal elections began a story quoting Hakim where he allegedly describes the Garden Reach area as mini Pakistan.
"'Please come along and let us take you to mini-Pakistan in Kolkata,' says Bobby Firhad Hakim, MLA candidate of the incumbent party in West Bengal, All India Trinamool Congress, which is on its last leg of its canvassing and voters decide the party’s fate in the phase-wise West Bengal assembly elections scheduled to be held on April 30 and May 5," the Dawn story by Maleeha Hamid Siddiqui starts.
While Hakim was quoted in a daily saying tht raising this issue is a "blatant attempt to foment communal tension ahead of the polls", the BJP was quick to seize the issue.
BJP leader and In-charge of BJP's national IT Amit Malviya tweeted: "TMC leader Bobby Hakim thinks that Port area is mini Pakistan....... Mamata didi would be proud."
West Bengal is undergoing its sixth phase of assembly polls Saturday witnessing a contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the alliance of Left and Congress while the BJP is the third force in the election scene.
Garden Reach is one of the constituencies going to polls on Saturday.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Amit Shah to join Suvendu Adhikari on Bhabanipur nomination day; BJP plans mega roadshow
Wed, Apr 01 2026
Bengal SIR progress: 47 lakh of 60 lakh adjudicated cases disposed of, Supreme Court informed
Wed, Apr 01 2026
Indian Navy’s INS Trikand wraps up high-profile visit to Mozambique—Here’s why it matters
Tue, Mar 31 2026
‘Unsubstantial allegations’: Calcutta HC dismisses plea on ECI’s officer transfers in Bengal
Tue, Mar 31 2026
Tennis icon Leander Paes joins BJP ahead of Bengal polls
Tue, Mar 31 2026
8 killed, several injured in crowd crush at Bihar temple in Nalanda
Tue, Mar 31 2026