“Enough of ‘Jaago Maa’, now sing something ‘secular’.” Mehboob Malik misbehaved with Hindu singer

A case of alleged misbehavior and attempt to attack Bengali playback singer Lagnajita Chakraborty during a live cultural program in West Bengal has come to light. The incident took place on Saturday (December 20) evening during a program organized at South Point Public School in Bhagwanpur, East Midnapore. In this case, a written complaint has been lodged against Mehboob Malik, a member of the school’s governing body, after which the police has arrested the accused.

Lagnajita Chakraborty has alleged in her complaint that she was singing the popular song ‘Jaago Maa’ from the film Devi Chaudhurani, when Mehboob Malik climbed on the stage during the program and tried to physically attack her using abusive language. According to the singer, the accused shouted at her, “Onek jaago maa hoichhe, e baar kichhu secular ga” i.e. “Enough of ‘jaago maa’, now sing something ‘secular’.”

The singer has written in the complaint that the program started at around 7 pm and was to continue till 8:30 pm. Everything was normal in the initial part of the performance, but suddenly the situation on stage deteriorated. Lagnajita alleges that the accused’s behavior was aggressive and he proceeded with the intention of beating her on an open stage. “He wanted to beat me and tried to attack me on the open stage,” he said.

After the incident, Lagnajita Chakraborty lodged a written complaint at Bhagwanpur police station. According to police sources, investigation into the matter has been started and a detailed investigation is being conducted into what happened during the program. Posts and pictures related to this incident have also appeared on social media, in which the singer has shared her ordeal.

The case of misbehavior with Lagnajita has gained political significance. Bharatiya Janata Party has targeted the state government and the ruling party over the incident. BJP leader Shakudeb Panda said, “West Bengal is in the hands of jihadists. Mehboob is a TMC man. They are directing the singer as to which song she should sing. This is an anti-Hindu attitude.” He further alleged, “They also attacked Lagnajita Chakraborty. When she went to the police station, Mamata Banerjee’s police refused to register a complaint.”

However, the police have confirmed the arrest of the accused and said that the case is being investigated on the basis of facts. This incident has once again come at the center of debate regarding the safety of cultural programs, freedom of expression and religious sensitivity in the state.

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