A blistering exposé on the historic TMC political betrayal as the smirking faces of Firhad, Javed, Mulla, and Mala reveal a desperate scramble for immunity.
By Qalam Times News Network
Kolkata | June 17, 2026
The shocking image in (above) has surfaced as the definitive visual testament to the staggering TMC political betrayal currently upending West Bengal. The photograph does not show leaders broken by defeat or standing in reluctant compliance; instead, it exposes the unmasked, sycophantic grins of a political class that has spent decades exploiting secular voters, only to shamelessly pivot when the winds of power shifted. For the millions of voters who trusted these figures as an unyielding firewall against the right-wing alliance, the smirking faces of Firhad, Javed, Mulla, and Mala stand as a raw, undisputed record of absolute ideological desertion.
The frantic maneuvering captured in the frame reveals a deeper, more desperate truth: these former heavyweights are now more vulnerable than they have ever been in their political lives. Stripped of the absolute state protection they once enjoyed under Mamata Banerjee, their sudden, grinning alignment with the BJP-backed framework is a desperate scramble for self-preservation. This public display of political opportunism lays bare an entire regional political cartel running out of options and scrambling for cover under a new regime.
Every grinning face packed into the frame of the above image tells a story of survival prioritizing over principle. In the center of the huddle, Firhad Bobby Hakim and Javed Ahmed Khan can be seen crowding forward, their faces twisted into eager, obsequious smiles as they lean over shoulders to catch the eye of the new leadership. There are no folded hands of humility or somber expressions of political defeat here. Instead, their faces project a hollow, buoyant sycophancy, desperately seeking validation from the very political forces they spent careers demonizing.
To the right of the frame, the smug, relaxed composure of Mala Roy cements the sheer audacity of this transition. The bitter irony is devastating for the electorate. Roy’s parliamentary seat in Kolkata was secured through an aggressive, absolute consolidation of minority and secular voting blocks who backed her specifically to defeat the CPI(M)’s Saira Shah Halim. The electorate genuinely believed they were electing a fierce defender of democratic and secular values. Instead, photograph immortalizes the exact moment that massive public trust was traded away, showing her looking thoroughly comfortable and pleased to be integrated into the new right-wing power structure.
Shaking Fortresses: Vulnerability Masked by Smirking Grins
The desperate cheerfulness displayed by Firhad Hakim, Javed Ahmed Khan, Mala Roy, and Abdul Khaleque Mollah stems directly from the sudden collapse of their empires. For over a decade, these individuals operated above the law, maintaining control through localized muscle, syndicates, and powerful protection networks. In their respective fiefdoms, the professional rule of law was systematically dismantled. When ordinary citizens or business owners attempted to report extortion, syndicate violence, or illegal factory closures, law enforcement was rendered useless. Victims were openly turned away by police and directed straight to “Bobby” Hakim‘s enforcers for arbitration.
Now, with the central leadership’s protection completely shattered, these individuals are profoundly vulnerable to administrative, legal, and financial accountability.
Firhad Hakim: Once an aggressive moral grandstander who publicly condemned opponents for engaging with right-wing entities, his grinning face in the photograph perfectly aligns with his sudden public praise of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s “developmental agenda.” It is a transparent, desperate attempt to shield his vast network from imminent investigation.
Javed Ahmed Khan:Long plagued by heavy allegations of nepotism, corruption, and political thuggery in areas like Topsia, Khan’s smiling face betrays his panic. This is a man who went turning the Red Road Eid prayers into heavily staged political PR shows for personal and party clout.
Abdul Khaleque Mollah & Associated Factions: Alongside Khan and the compromised elements of the Khilafat Committee, these leaders traded away institutional dignity for administrative immunity. Today, their political currency is worthless, and their grins are nothing more than a frantic plea for protection from the new ruling dispensation.
A Mass Rebellion in the Shadow of the Image
The jovial compliance frozen in above picture reflects a wider, systemic fracture that has torn the Trinamool Congress completely apart. The photograph captures the architects of a party that is now collapsing like a house of cards:
The Legislative Collapse : A rebel faction of 58 MLAs, led by the expelled lawmaker Ritabrata Banerjee, has completely broken ranks with the central party core.
The Parliamentary Exodus: In the Lok Sabha, a massive block of 20 MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has officially petitioned Speaker Om Birla to recognize their merger into the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), integrating directly into the BJP-led alliance.
The Upper House Resignations: Veteran Rajya Sabha members including Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik have completely abandoned ship, resigning their seats and cutting ties with the party.
The Grim Reality Behind the Smiles
Ultimately, the picture serves as a permanent, damning archive of an era where opportunism completely eclipsed ideology. The smiling defectors in this frame are not moving toward a new political philosophy; they are fleeing the consequences of their own systemic corruption. As their fortresses crumble, they leave behind an abandoned electorate and thousands of grassroots workers who sacrificed their lives for a leadership that chose capitulation over conviction. While the ordinary people of Bengal face the fallout of this massive political destabilization, the architects of their betrayal are caught on camera, smiling broadly in the corridors of their new masters.
