New Delhi: A former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader stirred a row after he allegedly gifted his wife an AK-47 assault rifle on the couple’s first wedding anniversary. On Monday, Riazul Haque, a former leader of the ruling TMC in West Bengal, shared a picture of his wife, Sabina Yasmin, holding an AK-47 rifle.
However, the politician soon deleted his post after the action was condemned by leaders of rival parties, the- Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the CPIM– who slammed Riazul trying to “promote Taliban rule”.
‘Toy gun’
Later, Riazul attempted to defend his move by claiming that the rifle gifted by him to his was not a real one but a replica, in other words a ‘toy gun’ and there was nothing illegal in what he did.
“My wife was holding a toy gun in the picture. There’s nothing illegal in what I did. The accusations against me are baseless as the gun wasn’t even real,” Riazul claimed. He further said that he deleted the post as people kept asking if it (the rifle) was real.
Riazul Haque reportedly served as the president of TMC’s minority cell in Rampurhat-1 block but had resigned a few months ago. He is said to be close to West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker and Rampurhat MLA Ashish Bandyopadhyay.
BJP demands probe
“Where did he (Riazul) get the gun? An ex-leader of the TMC and a close confidante of the deputy speaker posts a picture of his wife brandishing an AK-47, what message he wants to convey?,” asked BJP district president from Birbhum, Dhrubo Saha as he called for an investigation into the incidenṭ
