Kolkata Police virtually question Mithun Chakraborty over campaign speech

Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty was questioned by the Kolkata Police on Wednesday over a controversial speech that he delivered during the West Bengal assembly election campaign.

Kolkata (West Bengal):Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty was questioned by the Kolkata Police on Wednesday over a controversial speech that he delivered during the West Bengal assembly election campaign.

City police sources that the superstar was volleyed with a total of 12 questions by the interrogating sleuths. “He was asked whether he was forced to make such provocative statements by anyone or not. For the time being the interrogation part is over. But if necessary he might be grilled again,” said a police official.

According to sources, the 71-year-old actor, who was among the BJP's star campaigners in the April-May election, was questioned virtually in connection with a case filed against him. It was alleged that his speech played a key role in the occurrence of post-poll violence in the state.

Earlier, Chakraborty had filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking quashing of the FIR against him, after which the court had directed an investigation officer to question the actor virtually. During the virtual questioning, the actor has pleaded that he had only recited dialogues in his speech and that it was only "recreational" and were not meant to be literal.

Read: Mithun seeks quashing of case linking him with Bengal violence

The complainant claimed in his FIR at the Maniktala police station in Kolkata that the actor had used dialogues like "Marbo Ekhane Lash Porbe Shoshane (I will hit you here and the body will fall in the crematorium)" and "Ek Chobole Chabi (just one snakebite and you will become a photograph) during a BJP campaign rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata for the West Bengal assembly elections. It was alleged that these dialogues were a cause for post-poll violence in the state.

Chakraborty claimed that the utterances of such film dialogues were only recreational. He claimed innocence saying he was in no way connected with any offence as alleged by the complainant.

Read: I am a cobra, says actor after joining BJP

Several incidents of post-poll violence were reported from different parts of West Bengal since the results of the polls were announced. A suit has been filed at Calcutta High Court as well. The Union home ministry has also sought a report from the West Bengal government in this regard. Governor Jagdeep Dhankar had also been vocal against the state government on this issue on social media.

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