A public reception for a local panchayat head in Howrah took a bizarre and controversial turn when he was presented with what appeared to be a firearm, igniting a political firestorm in the area.
Event in Bankra Takes an Unexpected Turn
The incident occurred on Wednesday night during a reception held in Bankra, Howrah. The event was organised to honour Akhtar Hossain Molla, the Trinamool Congress head of the Bankra no. 1 panchayat. He was being feted by party panchayat members, local businessmen, and fellow Trinamool workers.
During the proceedings, a local Trinamool worker stepped forward and presented Molla with an object that closely resembled a pistol. A photograph of the panchayat head holding the item quickly went viral on social media, causing immediate uproar and intense political debate in the locality.
Panchayat Head's Defence and Police Complaint
In the aftermath, Akhtar Hossain Molla addressed the controversy, offering a startling explanation. He asserted that the weapon was not real but a foreign-made toy gun designed to look authentic. Molla told reporters that the worker suddenly handed him the object and then disappeared from the scene.
"Although I accepted it in the moment, I am still confused about why I was given such a strange gift," Molla stated. He expressed his inability to locate the worker who gave him the gun and raised suspicions that this was a deliberate conspiracy to damage his reputation. Following the incident, Molla has officially filed a complaint with the police regarding the matter.
Investigations Launched Amid Political Fallout
The viral image prompted swift reactions from both law enforcement and the political establishment. A senior officer from the Howrah City Police revealed that initial suspicions pointed towards the object possibly being an air gun. The officer confirmed that a police investigation is currently ongoing to determine the exact nature of the item and the circumstances behind the gift.
On the political front, Howrah Trinamool Congress chairman and state minister Arup Roy announced that the party has initiated its own probe. "An internal party investigation has begun to understand why this incident occurred," Roy stated, acknowledging the sensitivity of the situation. The event has undoubtedly stirred the political waters in Howrah, putting the local Trinamool leadership under scrutiny.
