The Trinamool Congress on Thursday (April 9, 2026) alleged that Aam Janata Unnyan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir took money from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “plot and mislead” Muslims of West Bengal. The party shared viral sting operation videos from a conversation between Mr. Kabir and an unidentified man. However, Mr. Kabir dismissed all the allegations
The video shared by the TMC has a time stamp marked December 19, 2025, in which, Mr. Kabir, who recently formed the AJUP after being suspended from the Trinamool Congress, was seen speaking to a man not visible on camera. Mr. Kabir was saying that he has a “covert” understanding with the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari that if he manages to secure 70-80 seats and the BJP gets around 100-120 seats in the Assembly polls, Mr. Kabir will offer his support to the BJP to form government and in turn they will make Mr. Kabir the Deputy Chief Minister.
He is also heard naming other top BJP leaders like Mohan Yadav, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and also the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Yes, it is very easy to fool Muslims… That is why knowingly I choose the name Babri Masjid even when people threatened me and asked me to make the mosque in some other name. But in any other name the sentiment will not be the same,” Mr. Kabir is seen saying in the video in Hindi. This comes in context to Mr. Kabir’s plan to construct a Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district which he announced in December 2025 which led to massive stir in the State.
Demands ED probe
“Humayun Kabir has claimed that he is being given ₹1,000 crore. He claims that ₹200 crore has already been advanced. He also mentioned the PMO and some other leaders,” TMC’s Beleghata candidate Kunal Ghosh accused at a press conference while releasing the alleged video of Mr. Kabir. He demanded an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate against Mr. Kabir and asked the government to use all Central agencies to investigate all the names mentioned in the video. However, the TMC did not reveal the source of the video.
“Religious sentiments are being used to buy and sell votes… you can see how Humayun Kabir is selling Muslim sentiments in the name of a Masjid and is asking for ₹1,000 crore for it… Are we, the Muslim people, brainless? Will we allow someone like this to sell our sentiments? We will condemn it, and we will oust him from our society,” Minister and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said. He condemned Mr. Kabir’s words and asked Muslims to not let Mr. Kabir “play” with the community’s sentiments.
The three-time MLA, Mr. Hakim also added that his religion was being “sold” by Mr. Kabir and that was why they had ousted him from the party.
Mr. Kabir denied all the allegations and said if the TMC leadership had the courage then it should prove their allegations.
“If they cannot prove their allegations, I will file a ₹2,000 crore defamation case against them,” Mr. Kabir said. He added that the video was fake and was made with the help of advanced artificial intelligence.
Amid all the allegations, Mr. Kabir’s use of a helicopter to campaign has also raised eyebrows about the funding of the transport. The defected TMC leader has come to an alliance with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi for the upcoming polls. Mr. Kabir has said that he hired the helicopter himself because he has to attend multiple meetings and rallies.
A few weeks before the elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs granted ‘Y’ category Central security cover to Mr. Kabir, which created much political noise.
Mr. Kabir has a long history of changing parties, he fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a BJP ticket and the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections on a TMC ticket.
The TMC leadership on Thursday further claimed that the BJP has hired the AIMIM and the AJUP as their B and C teams to divide Muslim votes and reduce the TMC’s chances of a win.
Mr. Kabir’s AJUP has allied with the AIMIM and vowed to defeat TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee in the ensuing elections.
