TMC’s Firhad Hakim calls part of Kolkata port ''mini Pak'', minister denies

Kolkata, April 30

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused a West Bengal minister, Firhad Hakim, of having described a part of Kolkata port area as "mini Pakistan" in an interview to Pakistan daily 'Dawn', although the Trinamool Congress leader has denied the claim. "How can a minister say such things? We demand an explanation from both Mr Firhad Hakim and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said.

When contacted Hakim said he never made such a comment.

"The Pakistani journalist came along with a journalist of a local Bengali daily. She only asked me that this place looks like Karachi of Pakistan (sic). I did not make any comment. She spoke to me about my election campaign. I answered those questions. That's all," he said.

According to an article in Dawn, a journalist of the newspaper who was in Kolkata some days ago, spoke to Hakim during his campaign trail in Muslim-dominated Kolkata port area and it was during this interview that he termed the part of Kolkata port area as "Mini Pakistan". — PTI