Veteran actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician Mithun Chakraborty has claimed that Gundaraj (mob rule) in West Bengal has ended for good, dismissing opposition allegations of renewed lawlessness in the state. His remarks came during Diwali celebrations in the state, where he spoke to the media on 10 November 2026.

What Mithun Chakraborty Said

Addressing reporters, Chakraborty categorically denied that mob rule was gaining momentum in West Bengal, counter-arguing that opposition parties lack substantive issues and are therefore resorting to such claims. “What we have endured for 15 years. What can I say about it? He is saying that the goons are ruling. Have you ever seen such freedom? Why are you questioning? It has to be done,” he said.

He also dismissed references to what critics call ‘Kalighat Trinamool’, suggesting the influence of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — now in opposition after the assembly elections — had dissipated. “When you’re in opposition, something has to be done. There is nothing left for them now. They say, ‘Kalighat Trinamool’. Does anything like this even exist? It’s all over. It’s all over, sir,” he added.

Opposition Claims of Continuing Violence

Chakraborty’s statements come against a backdrop of ongoing political contestation over law and order in West Bengal. The TMC has raised concerns about mob intimidation, alleged church vandalism, denial of burial rights, and harassment of residents in rural districts including Paschim Medinipur and South 24 Parganas. Critics argue these incidents reflect a fresh wave of intimidation under the new dispensation, charges the ruling side disputes.

Mithun’s Complicated Political Journey

Notably, the “15 years of mob rule” that Chakraborty attributed to the TMC spans a period during which he himself was a member of that party. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by then West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and contested the West Bengal Rajya Sabha polls held on 7 February 2014. He resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP on 26 December 2016.

In 2021, ahead of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Chakraborty joined the BJP in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. His political arc spans the full ideological spectrum: from early involvement in the Naxalbari movement to the centre-left TMC and now the right-leaning BJP. He departed the Naxalbari movement after a personal family crisis before going on to graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and become a Bollywood superstar.

Why This Matters

West Bengal’s law-and-order situation has remained politically charged since the state assembly elections. Chakraborty’s remarks, made as a sitting BJP figure who was previously part of TMC, carry a layered significance: they simultaneously endorse the new ruling arrangement and invite scrutiny of his own tenure within the party he now criticises. With assembly elections on the horizon, allegations and counter-allegations around Gundaraj are expected to intensify.