Protests to continue: Malda violence plotter defiant in 1st reaction after arrest

AIMIM leader Mofakkarul Islam was arrested from the Bagdogra airport in Bengal's Siliguri on Thursday. He has been named as the mastermind of the Malda hostage crisis, in which seven judicial officers were held captive for around nine hours, over SIR voter name deletions.

In Short

• Malda mastermind denied making any instigating remarks
• Said his actions were not at the direction of any political party
• 7 judicial officers were kept hostage for nearly 9 hours in Malda on April 1

The mastermind of the Malda hostage standoff, has said that he will continue protesting against voter name deletion in Bengal. He made the statement while speaking to reporters on Friday after he was produced before a local court. The AIMIM leader, who is also an advocate, was arrested on Thursday at Siliguri's Bagdogra airport while trying to flee.

"Protests will continue. Until the names of voters, put under adjudication, are not included in the list, the protests will continue," Islam said in Bengali.

When asked if his actions were at the direction of any political party, he flatly refused. "This is my work for the public."

Islam also dismissed making any instigating statements and challenged the reporters to show him evidence supporting the same.

Furthermore, when asked to comment on Trinamool Congress boss and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks about him being used by the BJP, Islam said she was speaking without evidence.

A total of 19 people have so far been arrested, including Islam. During the April 1 incident, seven judicial officers were allegedly kept hostage at the Kaliachak II Block Development Office in Malda by protesters for around nine hours. A five-year-old child of one of the officers was also inside. The officers were in charge of reviewing the voters who had been put under adjudication, following the release of the final SIR list.

They were rescued at around 1 am by a police team.

Islam was caught in a viral video openly challenging senior government officials. "Oye DM, oye SP who is the CID? Where is the IB? Where are you all? Come here," he was heard in the clip.

However, Bengal Police sources told India Today that Mofakkarul Islam's name does exist in the final list.

Meanwhile, the incident has triggered yet another political flashpoint between the ruling TMC and the BJP in the opposition in the poll-bound Bengal. While the Trinamool claimed that Islam is a BJP agent, the saffron alleged that the mastermind is close to many ruling party leaders.

- Ends