‘Why only Shabana Azmi...me too’: Chidambaram on Narottam Mishra's ‘tukde-tukde’ jibe

New Delhi: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday (September 4, 2022) reacted to Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra’s statement that Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Naseeruddin Shah are ‘sleeper cells’ of the tukde-tukde gang, and asked why Mishra stopped at them and did not include Chidambaram in the list. "I had declared in Parliament that I was a member of the tukde-tukde gang," the Congress MP said.

The Congress leader also took a jibe at Narottam Mishra, who is known for his controversial statements, and said he should become the Union home minister since he has information which even the ministry of home affairs did not have.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram also went on to recall that the Union home ministry had no data available on tukde-tukde gang, though BJP leaders use the phrase often. 

"I had also pointed out that in the answer to a question, the MHA said that the government had "no information" on the tukde-tukde gang! If the Home Minister of MP has more information than the Union Home Minister, he should be appointed as the Union Home Minister!" Chidambaram tweeted.

Why did the Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh stop with calling Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar & Naseeruddin Shah members of the tukde-tukde gang?

I had declared in Parliament that I was a member of the tukde-tukde gang!

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 4, 2022

Earlier this week, Narottam Mishra stirred up a controversy after he said Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Naseruddin Shah are the sleeper cells of the tukde-tukde gang. The statement of MP home minister comes after actor Shabana Azmi broke down during a television interview while talking about the release of the 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano rape case.

"The case is..this Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Naseruddin Shah are sleeper cells of the tukde tukde gang. They did not say anything to the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan. In Jharkhand, our daughter has been set on fire. But did they say anything? Only when something happens in BJP-ruled states, they issue statements," Narottam Mishra said.

"It is when something happenes in BJP-ruled states that Naseruddin Shah gets scared to stay in this country. Then there is this award-wapsi gang who will become active and scream their lungs out. How can they claim to be secular. Now everyone knows the truth of these persons," Mishra said.