All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has announced that it is ending its alliance with a party headed by Humayun Kabir ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections.
The decision comes after a sting video of Humayun Kabir surfaced on social media, purportedly showing him claiming links with senior BJP leaders and efforts to defeat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming Assembly elections.
In a strongly worded statement, the AIMIM said that it "cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question," and confirmed that it has officially ended the alliance with immediate effect.
In a post on X, AIMIM said, "Humayun Kabir's revelations have shown how vulnerable Bengal's Muslims are. That AIMIM cannot associate with any statements where integrity of Muslims is brought into question. As of today, AIMIM has withdrawn its alliance with Kabir's party.
Bengal's Muslims are one of the poorest, neglected and oppressed communities. Despite decades of secular rule, nothing has been done for them. AIMIM's policy in contesting elections in any state is so that the marginalised communities have an independent political voice. We will be contesting the Bengal elections INDEPENDENTLY and have will have no alliance with any party going forward."
In the video, Kabir, who founded the Aam Janata Unnayan Party days after being suspended by the TMC late last year, was also allegedly heard claiming he had communication with the PMO and was advised to coordinate with leaders from other BJP-ruled states.
In the video, which could not be independently verified, Kabir was allegedly heard talking to an unidentified person, outlining a strategy to divert minority votes away from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and claiming support from the Muslim community.
"Fooling Muslims is easy. They are very humble, very innocent. I have caught their emotion through the Babri Masjid issue. Today, every Muslim in the country is with me. If you say anything bad about me, they will attack you. Test and see it," Kabir is heard saying in the video.
Polling for the 294-member Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
(With inputs from ANI)