On August 29, a complaint was filed with the Principal Secretary of West Bengal against Afghanistan evacuee Tamal Bhattacharya for his pro-Taliban remarks. Tamal, who had earlier pleaded with the Indian govt to rescue him from Afghanistan, heaved praise on the radical Islamist group on his safe return to India.
The complaint was filed by one Suraj Singh, a BJP member from Kolkata. Singh had requested the Principal Secretary of West Bengal to take action against Tamal. “When he was stuck In Afghanistan, he was pleading to Indian government for evacuation citing the horrifying and Inhuman atrocities by Taliban Terrorists. But suddenly, after coming back to home, his remark on Taliban changed and this change of perception Is so distressing that it could be alarming for our domestic security,” the complaint read.
Singh pointed out how Tamal had projected the radical Islamist organisation as ‘humble people.’ He stated, “Tamal said in his interview that Taliban terrorists helped him, fed him with food, entertained him and played cricket in airport. At these trying times of crisis, where the entire world is struggling to come to terms to combat terrorism and on the top of that people like Tamal Bhattacharya portraying ‘one of the deadliest Jihaadl Terrorist Taliban group’ to be kind and helpful.”
The BJP member further emphasised, “It really sounds very strange to have come across such a comment and claim of Bhattacharya regarding generosity of Taliban terrorists.” Suraj Singh reiterated that Tamal Bhattacharya could be a ‘Taliban mole’, who has been sent to India to distort the peace and harmony in the country. While stating that the Afghanistan evacuee can pose threat to country’s domestic security, Singh requested the West Bengal Principal Secretary to initiate an inquiry into the matter. He added that Tamal must be booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 121, 121A, 124A and Official Secrets Act of 1923.
While speaking to OpIndia,Suraj Singh said, “Such soft corner for Taliban raises the questions of his association with Taliban. It is possible that a communist like Tamal may have a soft corner for the Taliban but speaking such high praises of Talibs is highly problematic and I believe it can be a threat to national security.” In another telephonic conversation on September 7, he conceded that the Principal Secretary of West Bengal did not respond to his complaint.
Multiple people filed complaint against Tamal Bhattacharya
It must be mentioned that a petition was earlier filed with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs by one Raj Chowdhury. After having found Tamal Bhattacharya’s picture with the Talibs, Chowdhury had filed another petition with the with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. In a tweet, he said, “I had also filed one written grievance to Ministry of IT, Electronics against Tamal Bhattacharya who can be seen with Talibani Terrorists with gun AK47 and he is posing proudly with the terrorists. The Ministry of IT and Electronics has accepted this plea too for consideration.
The case of Tamal Bhattacharya
Tamal, a 34-year-old resident of Nimta in the North Dum Dum area, was stranded in Afghanistan ever since the Taliban took control of the country on August 15-16. He had been working as a physics and chemistry teacher at an army school (Kardan International school) in Kabul since March this year. A mechanical engineer by training, Tamal was living in the staff quarters of his school. However, after the Taliban took over the city of Kabul, he was forced to lock himself up inside the principal’s residence.
He alleged to have contacted the Indian embassy and couldn’t reach the Hamid Karzai International airport despite several attempts. Later, he claimed to have reached the airport gate at 11 pm on August 20, only to be returned by the US security forces due to the absence of government officials and documents. He added that Talibs were surrounding the airport and had to spend the night in a nearby wedding hall. While speaking to Anandabazaar Patrika, he said, “Please inform PM Modi and Amit Shah so that immediate action is taken for our evacuation”
Eventually, Tamal was evacuated by an Indian Air Force (IAF) carrier along with 10 other Bengali residents. He boarded the flight late on August 21 night and reached the National capital on August 22 morning. On the same day, he returned to Kolkata via a flight from New Delhi. Tamal, who was successfully rescued by the Indian government from his perilous state, heaped praise upon the Taliban after reaching home.
As per a report in ABP News, Tamal Bhattacharya claimed that the Taliban has not only treated him well but also fed him good food. “They (Talibs) also played cricket with us,” he claimed. Tamal later hailed the radical Islamist outfit for being ‘trustworthy’. This is despite the fact that he had earlier pleaded with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to evacuate him immediately from Taliban-controlled Kabul. Tamal’s contentious claims found overwhelming support among the radical Islamists, who were seeking opportunities to whitewash the atrocities committed by the Talibs.
Tamal Bhattacharya was seen with Taliban radicals holding weapons, and he was posing ‘proudly’ with them. “The Ministry of IT and Electronics has accepted this plea too for consideration,” Chowdhury had tweeted. It was also alleged that he might be planning to flee the country soon.
