Former minister of state of Trinamul Congress-led government Humayun Kabir on Friday issued an open threat of murder against the government officials in charge of conducting the panchayat election in Murshidabad district.

While addressing a peace rally of the Congress party here on Friday, Mr Kabir gave a murder threat to officials who are now serving under the state election commission.

“The government officials are sheltering the goons of Trinamul Congress. Police are helping these Trinamul rogues and fabricating false charges against Congress workers. If our party workers were served jail terms without committing crimes….. if our former sabhadhipati of Murshidabad zilla parishad Shiladitya Haldar has to languish in jail for nine months without committing any murder, we are ready to go to the jail after eliminating the corrupt government officials. We shall kill the officials before going to the jail,” said Mr Kabir at the Congress protest rally.

Formerly a Congress MLA from Rejinagar, Mr Kabir had become a minister of the Mamata Banerjee government after joining the Trinamul Congress in 2012. Subsequently, he left the ruling party following his controversial remarks accusing Miss Banerjee of dynasty politics and again joined Congress last year.

The state Congress chief and MP, Mr Adhir Chowdhury, on Friday led a sit-in demonstration along with party MLAs,leaders and workers at the base of Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of the Murshidabad district collectorate building.

He said: “On Friday we were on fast for eight hours in protest against series of attacks on our party MLAs. The Trinamul goons are out to kill the Congress MLAs, leaders and workers contesting the rural polls.”

“The TMC-backed criminals are launching attack on our MLAs and activists in presence of the district police personnel. The administrative officials are hands-in-glove with the police and TMC backed rowdies are preventing Congress candidates from contesting the Panchayat election. So, for the sake of justice and restoration of peace, we demonstrated protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue”, said Mr Chowdhury.

The Congress party delegates on Friday met the superintendent of police, Mr Mukesh Kumar, and urged him to ensure security of the Congress MLAs and workers here.