On Friday (3rd April), the West Bengal police arrested All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) rabble-rouser Mofakkerul Islam for instigating violence against judicial officers in the Muslim-dominated district of Malda. Although a member of Asaduddin Owaisi’s radical Islamic party, Mofakkerul has close connections with several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.
The Background of the Case
For the unversed, a frenzied mob held 8 judicial officers (including 3 women) hostage inside the BDO office in Malda’s Kaliachak. Angry over the removal of names of illegal voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the mob also resorted to stone pelting when the victims were being rescued by the authorities.
The hostage situation and the eventual violence broke out after Mofakkerul Islam incited the mob through his provocative speech.
He challenged the local administration and the central agencies, such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB), to come and arrest him. “Where are the DM, the SP, the CID and the IB? Where are they all? Come here,” Mofakkerul can be heard shouting.
#Exclusive: Mofakkerul Islam, Calcutta HC advocate and AIMIM candidate (2021), who instigated violence in Malda, has now been arrested pic.twitter.com/OxLK18OO5V
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) April 3, 2026
“It is a movement to save our sons and daughters. Once we are here, we won’t leave empty-handed,” Mofakkerul told the people gathered there. “Fresh blood will be shed here. Nara e Takbeer, Allah hu Akbar,” he screamed.
After the video went viral, Mofakkerul planned to escape to Bengaluru but was arrested at the Bagdogra airport. He is currently booked in 3 cases. Reportedly, he was en route to Kolkata on Wednesday (1st April) but stopped at Murshidabad and Malda to make provocative speeches
His aide, Akramul Bagani, who runs anti-Hindu propaganda portal ‘Insaf News’, was also apprehended.
Mofakkerul is also an advocate at the Calcutta High Court and boasts of over 2 million followers on Facebook. He previously incited Muslims against Hindus during the Waqf Amendment Act row.
"Who feels harmony with Hindus? Our ancestors never cared about such stuff.. "
— Treeni (@treeni) April 3, 2026
– The same Mofakkerul Islam, Calcutta High Court Advocate, who instigated local Muslims over SIR in Malda.
This video is from the protests against the Waqf Amendment Act.
pic.twitter.com/mA73XXOtUl
The rabble-rouser was fielded by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) from the Itahar Vidhan Sabha constituency in Uttar Dinajpur district in the 2021 West Bengal election. It is unclear whether he remained or quit the party following his humiliating defeat in the election.
As per a Facebook post by ‘Vote for AIMIM’ group, Mofakkerul Islam re-joined the party in September 2025.
Mofakkerul Islam and his TMC connection
Following his arrest by the West Bengal police, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee took the credit for ‘exposing’ the conspiracy behind the Malda hostage crisis and violence.
She had claimed, “The Election Commission of India transferred 483 of our officers and posted new people. But our CID tracked down the main conspirator. We have long maintained that AIMIM and the BJP are trying to create disturbances in Bengal. The Congress and the Left are involved too.”
In a desperate attempt, Mamata Banerjee attempted to absolve the close connection of Mofakkerul Islam and the Trinamool Congress party. However, a casual glance at his X (formerly Twitter) posts from 2018 reveals a different story.
He had promoted several flagship schemes of the Mamata government and criticised the BJP.
Around the same time, Mofakkerul met several high-profile Trinamool Congress leaders. In one of the images, he was seen meeting heavyweight TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.
The rabble-rouser was also spotted alongside other TMC leaders.
He had also endorsed TMC members holding important party designations.
While the Mamata govt is busy distancing itself from Mofakkerul, his social media endorsement of the party punctures its lies.
