Owaisi breaks up with Humayun after sting op video, will contest Bengal polls alone

After a purported sting video by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), featuring Humayun Kabir. The AIMIM party has broke up all ties with the AJUP. In the video, Kabir—who recently formed the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP)—is purportedly heard discussing a multi-crore plan involving the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to defeat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The footage allegedly shows Kabir claiming he received a Rs 200 crore advance as part of a Rs 1,000 crore deal to divert Muslim votes away from the TMC to benefit the BJP.

The fallout was immediate, as Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM announced the termination of its alliance with Kabir’s AJUP. In a scathing statement, AIMIM declared it could not associate with anyone who questions the integrity of Muslims or suggests they are "easy to fool," as purportedly stated in the clip. The party emphasised that Bengal's Muslims remain among the most oppressed communities and announced it would now contest the 2026 Assembly elections independently. The TMC has escalated the matter by demanding an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged financial transactions mentioned in the video.

Humayun Kabir has vehemently denied the allegations, labelling the video a "fabricated" product of Artificial Intelligence (AI) orchestrated by the TMC leadership. He challenged the ruling party to provide any photographic or physical proof of his alleged meetings with BJP leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma or Suvendu Adhikari. Asserting that the TMC is "afraid" of losing its minority vote bank, Kabir announced his intention to file defamation proceedings against Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, and other senior leaders for what he calls a smear campaign.