Yusuf Pathan criticized on social media after violence in Murshidabad
Yusuf Pathan got embroiled in a big controversy through his social media post.
Violence broke out during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad district of North Bengal, in which three people lost their lives. These hate-filled incidents have now become a matter of controversial debate in social media and political circles, and Trinamool Congress MP and ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan is in the spotlight.
What happened in Murshidabad?
People in Murshidabad were protesting against the Waqf Amendment Act, which took a violent turn. The violence led to reports of vandalism and communal tensions, with some areas like Suti, Dhuliya, and Samserganj being the most affected. The High Court even had to say that “Constitutional Courts cannot be mute spectators,” and therefore ordered the deployment of central forces. The opposition parties have accused the Mamata Banerjee government of Bengal of failure to handle the situation.
Yusuf Pathan’s Instagram post – Was it okay at that time?
Yusuf Pathan, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Baharampur (which falls in a part of Murshidabad), became the target of social media’s fire when one of his Instagram posts went viral. In this post, he shared photos of himself enjoying his “easy afternoons” and “good tea”. While his constituency was not directly affected by the violence, the close proximity made people feel that his silence and leisure post was inappropriate.
A user commented on Instagram itself, “Do you have any shame?” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla went further to say that the violence in Bengal is “state-protected” and leaders like Yusuf Pathan are not paying any attention to it. On platforms like Twitter/X and Instagram, people appeared divided on the issue—some people called Yusuf Pathan’s post insensitive, and some people supported his privacy and personal time.
Political Attacks and Public Sentiments
This situation made the political debates even more intense. Both BJP and Left parties criticised Yusuf Pathan and Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee government has been accused of “state-sponsored violence” and people are also asking why Pathan came from Gujarat to become a part of Bengal politics.
Trinamool Congress supporters say that Yusuf Pathan’s post was related to his personal life and the place of violence was not a part of his constituency. But his detractors argue that being an elected leader he has more moral and political responsibility, even if the violence does not take place directly in his constituency.
What is right after all?
Being an elected representative, people have high expectations for leaders like Yusuf Pathan. His social media activity during the violence, which may be a part of his personal life, has now become a part of public scrutiny. A large part of Bengal is tense due to violence, and the silence of a leader amidst this can further inflame people’s emotions.
Yusuf Pathan has not yet given any response from his side, but the violence that took place in Murshidabad has become a hot topic in state and national level politics.
What do you think, did Yusuf Pathan do the right thing or not? What should happen according to you?