BJP corners TMC's Bobby Hakim for 'mini-Pakistan' remark to Pak scribe

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday took strong exception to Trinamool Congress MLA and West Bengal cabinet minister Bobby Firhad Hakim reportedly telling a correspondent from Pakistan "Please come along and let me take you to mini-Pakistan", during her visit to his constituency Garden Reach in Kolkata.

BJP leader Bengal Siddharth Nath Singh was reacting to a report appearing in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper that quoted journalist Maleeha Hamid Siddiqui as reporting that these were the exact words used by Hakim.

With the fifth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections for 53 seats currently underway, Singh, who is BJP's co-in charge of West Bengal, urged the electorate in the state not to vote for the West Bengal Urban Development Minister, who according to Singh, is a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Elections are going on in West Bengal and a report has appeared in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, by a reporter Maleeha Hamid Siddiqui. She was touring Bobby Hakim 's constituency with him, and Bobby Hakim told her "Please come along and let us take you to mini-Pakistan" in his constituency Garden Reach," Singh told media persons here.

"This is unfortunate. Bobby Hakim was involved in several controversies even in the past, he is a close aide of Mamata Banerjee. We condemn this and urge the electorate not to give a single vote to Bobby Hakim," he added.

Conclusion the article, Siddiqui further says, "Firhad is right . This does feel like mini-Pakistan.