Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty faces backlash over Muslim threats

Mithun Chakraborty, a renowned Bollywood actor and BJP leader, has been embroiled in controversy after his inflammatory speech went viral on social media.

The actor-turned-politician targeted Muslim leader Humayun Kabir of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and issued threats toward the Muslim community of West Bengal.

Chakraborty’s remarks were in response to Kabir’s statement, “You are 30 percent (Hindus), we are 70 percent (Muslims)… If you think you can harm mosques, we will drown you in the Bhagirathi.”

Chakraborty criticized Kabir’s comments, saying, “A leader says there are 70 percent Muslims and 30 percent Hindus, and that he will ‘cut’ and throw them into the Bhagirathi… I thought the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) would respond. She didn’t, so now I am saying, when our turn comes, we will not do that because the Bhagirathi is sacred to us. We will chop them up and bury them in the ground.”

The speech, made in the presence of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many condemning Chakraborty’s comments as openly inciting violence against Muslims.

X user Jaspinder Kaur reacted, “India is the only country in the world where you can become a successful politician by threatening to kill minorities. Ironically, it claims to be the world’s largest democracy.”

Chakraborty’s comments have raised concerns about the rise of hate speech and intolerance in Indian politics.

It’s worth noting that Chakraborty recently received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema.