Another Bangladeshi actor in soup for seeking votes for TMC

Kolkata: A day after the Indian government cancelled Ferdous Ahmed’s business visa and blacklisted him forcing him to leave the country, another Bangladeshi actor: Gazi Abdun Noor has come under the scanner of the Election Commission after the BJP lodged a complaint against him for allegedly campaigning for the Trinamul Congress in the Lok Sabha Election in the state.

Swinging into action on the EC’s directive, the ministry of home affairs instructed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Kolkata under the Bureau of Immigration to look into Noor’s visa status. The Tollywood actor who donned the role of Raja Rajchandra Das in a popular mega serial Karunamoyee Rani Rasmoni on Bengali TV screen was seen standing beside former Trinamul minister Madan Mitra in a vehicle during a road show for Trinamul Congress MP and candidate of Dum Dum Sougata Roy recently.

On Tuesday afternoon two BJP leaders Sisir Bajoria and Joy Prokash Majumdar met chief electoral officer (West Bengal) Ariz Aftab and lodged a complaint against Noor and the Trinamul of violating the model code of conduct. To substantiate their allegations they also submitted a video of Noor’s participation in the ruling party’s poll campaign of Mr Roy.

Holding a microphone Mr Mitra was seen in a video telling the people, “Mr Roy has come here. Noor is here with me. He has played the role of Raja Rajchandra. Alongwith them is Debparna, the councillor who is known to you all. Besides Prof Roy is in the car next to us....See Raja Rajchandra is next to Debparna. Stay well. I am showing him to you direct if you can not see him on TV.”

According to sources, the BJP’s complaint has been forwarded by the office of CEO West Bengal to the EC in New Delhi.

Mr Mitra however claimed, “A man who has not filed his nomination and candidature is not a candidate. So the question arises whethere he was campaigning for someone. Noor is like my younger brother. He came to me to give me a very important document. I told him ‘I am at BT Road and you just come to me to hand over this.’ It was not the vehicle of Prof Roy. He was not there.”

He claimed, “Noor came to me, spoke to me and had a cup of tea from my flusk. He also had a glass of water, handed me the paper and went away. He never campaigned for anything. He never uttered a single word.”

Former BJP MLA Shameek Bhattacharya alleged, “The voting is done here for a long time by bringing people from Bangladesh. The Trinamool was roaming around with the Tollywood and were giving tickets to the actors.

Now they can not continue to repose their faith in them anymore. Some special persons are taken to some special areas. What is the indication going?”