Islamic Jihadism In West Bengal

[G.Subramaniam]

Mamata sacks Firhad Hakim as party spokesman

16 February 2013

Press Trust of India

KOLKATA, 16 FEB: With pressure mounting on West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim for his alleged role in shielding some on those involved in the 12 February violence and the killing of a police officer at Garden Reach here, the Trinamul Congress has removed him as government spokesman.

“Hakim has been asked to keep a low profile. He used to brief the media on behalf of the government under the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. But from now on he won't be speaking on the behalf of the government,” a senior Trinamul Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified, said here.

Asked to comment on the Opposition demand for the removal of Hakim after Governor M K Narayanan said that he did not have any business to do it, the leader said: “He is a cabinet minister. Any decision on a Cabinet minister will have to be taken by the chief minister.”

Mr Hakim has been accused of shielding Mohammed Iqbal, a Trinamul councillor of Garden Reach, who is said to be a close to him. Mr Iqbal has been absconding since Tuesday night with the CID, entrusted with probing the killing, looking for him.

The CPI-M, meanwhile, demanded immediate arrest of all those named in the FIR for the violence in which a police officer was killed. “A sub-inspector (SI) of police died on duty during the Garden Reach violence. If all those named in the FIR are not arrested, it will give an impression that no rule of law exists in West Bengal,” CPI-M politburo member Biman Bose said.



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Muslim politicians bold enough to kill police officers in broad daylight