Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Age, Caste, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Names Earned	Prince of Murshidabad [1]India Today, Robin Hood of Behrampore [2]PressReader- The Sunday Guardian
Profession	Politician
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Colour	Black (half bald)
Hair Colour	Black
Politics
Political Party	Indian National Congress (INC)
Political Journey	• Joined Indian National Congress (INC) in 1978 • Contested and lost the Nabagram Assembly seat in 1991 • Served as MLA from Nabagram Assembly constituency from 1996 to 1999 • Elected MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in 1999 • Became Congress President for the Murshidabad district • Member of Committee to Review the Rate of Dividend Payable by the Railway Undertaking to the General Revenues (1999) • Member of Railway Convention Committee (1999) • Member of Standing Committee on Information Technology (1999-2000) • Member of Standing Committee on Railways (1999-2004) • Member of Consultative Committee on Ministry of External Affairs (2000-2004) • Re-elected MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in 2004 • Member of Committee on Estimates (2004) • Member of Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture (2004) • Member of Consultative Committee on Ministry of External Affairs (2004) • Re-elected MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 • Member of Standing Committee on Defence (2009-2012) • Member of Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine matters relating to Allocation and Pricing of telecom licences and 2G Spectrum (2009-2012) • Member of Standing Committee on Energy (2009-2012) • Member of Committee on Estimates (2009-2012) • Member of Consultative Committee on Ministry of External Affairs (2009-2012) • Member of Consultative Committee on Ministry of Food Processing (2009-2012) • Served as the Minister of State for Railways (2012-2014) • Re-elected MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 • Served as the President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress (WBPCC) (2014-2018) • Member of Standing Committee on Home Affairs (1 September 2014-25 May 2019) • Member of Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament (2 September 2014-25 May 2019) • Member of Consultative Committee on Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (2 September 2014-25 May 2019) • Re-elected MP from Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 • Became the Leader of Opposition • Appointed Chairperson of Committee on Public Accounts on 24 July 2019 • Became Member of Standing Committee on Home Affairs on 13 September 2019 • Became Member of General Purposes Committee on Lok Sabha on 21 November 2019 • Became Member of Consultative Committee of Ministry of Defence on 21 November 2019 • Reappointed as the President of the WBPCC in 2020 • Lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Baharampur constituency of West Bengal by a margin of 85,022 votes to Yusuf Pathan of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	2 April 1956 (Monday)
Age (as of 2024)	68 Years
Birthplace	Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal
Zodiac sign	Aries
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal
School	Gorabazar Iswar Chandra Institution (till 1970)
College/University	Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management Research, New Delhi
Educational Qualification	• Matriculation from Gorabazar Iswar Chandra Institution, Berhampore • Honorary Doctor of Humane Letter from Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management Research, New Delhi
Address	Permanent Address • 9, Haribabu R., Paschim, P.O.-Cossimbazar, Berhampore, Murshidabad-742102, West Bengal • 26/1/A, Sahid Surya Sen Road, Gonbazar, Berhampore, Murshidabad-742102, West Bengal Present Address 4, South Avenue Lane, New Delhi – 110 011
Controversies	1996 Murder of CPM Leader Manab Saha He was accused of the murder of CPM leader Manab Saha in Baharampur ahead of the 1996 West Bengal Assembly elections. Although he was absconding during the elections, he went on to win the seat with his recorded voice playing out on microphones during campaigns. [3]The Indian Express Accused in a Double Murder Case (2005) On 9 November 2005, Chowdhury was arrested from 82, South Avenue, his residence in Delhi, after he was implicated in the murder of two hoteliers Hanif Sheikh and Laltu Sheikh. The accused included Chowdhury's wife Arpita and 13 Congress party workers. After spending a month and a half in jail, he secured bail. He was acquitted of the charges in 2007. [4]The Times of India Arrested for Creating Trouble At a Polling Booth After Behrampore Chief Judicial Magistrate Amit Chattopadhyay acquitted him in 2007 on the murder charges of Hanif Sheikh and Laltu Sheikh, he was again arrested for the murder of Mougram Panchayat Chief Gobordhan Ghosh in 2003 and for creating trouble at a polling booth at Bharatpur the same year. Chowdhury was arrested the moment he stepped out of the court premises after which he was again produced before Behrampore CJM court. While addressing the media outside the courtroom he said, "I appeared before the court for bail in the twin murder case. Though I was granted bail, I was immediately arrested for my alleged involvement in two other cases, about which I was not aware. It’s a conspiracy by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led state government and police to frame me.” Thereafter, he was kept at the court lock-up for some time before sending him to Behrampore Central Correctional Home in the evening. [5]Hindustan Times 2003 murder of CPM Panchayat Pradhan Gobardhan In 2007, he was booked for the 2003 murder of CPM panchayat pradhan Gobardhan after he was allegedly named as a conspirator by two persons who were in the custody of the police. In 2010, a fast-track court in Katwa, Burdwan, acquitted him. [6]The Indian Express Accused in the Killing of TMC leader Kamal Sheikh (2011) In 2011, he was booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, as also under the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act for his alleged involvement in the murder of TMC leader Kamal Sheikh. Although a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Chowdhury, he was later granted interim bail by a Behrampore court. Sheikh was murdered in Gora Bazar, Murshidabad, in May 2011. [7]The Indian Express Attacking District Magistrate’s Bungalow (2012) In 2012, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led an irate mob to vandalise the office of the District Magistrate Rajiv Kumar in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. The incident occurred after a Congress delegation went to the DM's office to submit a memorandum, which the DM refused to accept asking the Additional District Magistrate to receive it. [8]Indian Today Calling PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah “Migrants” (2019) In 2019, he sparked controversy amid the turmoil caused by the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "intruders and migrants in Delhi" since their homes were in Gujarat. He accused the BJP of promoting religious discrimination in disguise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and said, "They (BJP) want to drive out Muslims from the country. But why a Muslim, who is a citizen of India, should leave the country? Is this country anybody’s jagir (property)? This country is for everyone, where everyone has equal rights.” Thereafter, a war of words broke out in Lok Sabha when the BJP members mocked Chowdhury by calling him an “infiltrator” several times. [9]Business Standard Speech on UN role in Kashmir (2019) During his address in Lok Sabha in 2019, in the aftermath of the BJP’s decision to revoke Article 370 and Article 35A in Kashmir, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that since the United Nations was monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since 1948, the Narendra Modi government should explain how the issue was an internal matter of India. [10]Zee News Slamming Chowdhury on his Twitter account, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra wrote, "Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary demanding a clarification from BJP government as to how Kashmir is an internal matter of India ..saying Kashmir matter is pending in the UN …It seems Pakistan send their representative to the Indian Parliament! (sic).” Comparing PM Narendra Modi to ‘Gandi Naali’ (2019) In 2019, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made an objectionable remark against PM Modi, which caused an outcry in Lok Sabha. Apparently, some BJP MP taunted Chowdhury during his Lok Sabha address by saying "least we don't say that Indira is India and India is Indira" following which Chowdhury said, "Kahan maa ganga, kahan gandi naali.” (One is Mother Ganges, other is a dirty drain) Later, Chowdhury clarified that he felt the urge to give the statement as a BJP MP compared PM Modi to Swami Vivekananda, who is revered in Bengal. He explained that his intention was not to insult the PM and that he had a questionable proficiency in Hindi. He explained that he was trying to say that there was no comparison between the great river ‘Ma Ganga’ and a small ‘naali’ (channel). [11]The Economic Times Rashtrapatni Remark (2022) In 2022, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attracted immense criticism for humiliating President Droupadi Murmu by referring to her as ‘Rashtrapatni.’ Union minister Smriti Irani in Lok Sabha and Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha vociferously protested over the derogatory remark and sought an apology from Chowdhury as well as Congress president Sonia Gandhi, stating that the Congress was anti-Adivasi and anti-women. On 29 July 2022, Chowdhury tendered a written apology to the President claiming that the alleged reference was a slip of the tongue. Later, he launched a scathing attack on Smriti Irani by pointing out that she was yelling ‘Droupadi Murmu’ repeatedly without prefixing Hon’ble President or Madame or Smt. before the Hon’ble President’s name while she was ranting on the 'Rashtrapatni' remark in the Lok Sabha. On the complaint of former MP minister Om Prakash Dhurve, an FIR was filed against Chowdhury in Madhya Pradesh under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including promoting enmity between different groups on 31 July 2022. [12]The Times of India Lok Sabha Suspension (2023) On 10 August 2023, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faced suspension from the Lok Sabha due to inappropriate remarks during his speech at the Monsoon Session of Parliament in New Delhi. He drew a parallel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a blind king while criticizing him for not addressing the 2023 Manipur Violence. Referring to the Mahabharata, Chowdhury emphasized that leaders shouldn't overlook wrongs committed against women, be it in Hastinapur or Manipur. After Prime Minister Modi responded to the no-confidence motion, Prahlad Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, proposed Chowdhury's actions be reviewed by the Committee on Privileges and mandated his suspension until the Committee reached a conclusion. Adhir Ranjan defended his stance, in an interview, and clarified that he was not aiming to demean the Prime Minister but was making a figurative point. [13]The Hindu He said, I didn't mean to disrespect the PM. I gave it as an example (Dhritarashtra-Draupadi). I had to (walkout) because even today the PM remained ‘Nirav’ on the issue of Manipur. I thought what is the use of seeing the new ‘Nirav Modi’. PM Modi says the whole country is with him, but then why is he afraid of Congress?"
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	15 September 1987 (with Arpita Chowdhury)
Family
Wife/Spouse	• Arpita Chowdhury (1987-2019) (businesswoman) • Atashi C Chowdhury (née Atashi Chatterjee) Note: In 2019, Arpita Chowdhury died after suffering from a chest infection. She was fondly called ‘Didibhai’ in her neighbourhood in Murshidabad and was associated with the Murshidabad district Congress.
Children	Daughters- 3 • Shreyashi Chowdhury (with her first wife, Arpita Chowdhury) • A girl found in a taxi in 2007 (adopted by Adhir and Arpita) [14]Telegraph India • Shushree Hoimonti (with second wife, Atashi C Chowdhury) Note: In 2006, Shreyashi Chowdhury died at the age of 18 due after she attempted suicide by jumping off her fifth-floor apartment. She was on the life support system for six days. Aspiring to become a model and actor, she was attending a grooming school before her death.
Parents	Father- Niranjan Chowdhury Mother- Saraju Bala Chowdhury (also spelt as Saroja Bala Chowdhury)
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Ford EcoSport Titanium • Travera • Rexton AT [15]MyNeta
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	Moveable Assets • Deposits in Banks, Financial Institutions and Non-Banking Financial Companies: Rs 17,88,038 • Motor Vehicles: Rs 23,30,549 • Jewellery: Rs 26,30,000 Immovable Assets • Non-Agricultural Land: Rs 6,14,00,000 • Commercial Buildings: Rs 40,00,000 • Residential Buildings: Rs 2,37,88,500 [16]MyNeta
Net Worth (2019)	Rs 9,28,08,453 [17]MyNeta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

• Following his matriculation in 1970, he dropped out of school at the age of 15.

• In 1996, Mamata Banerjee, who was then a member of the INC, threatened to hang herself in public should Chowdhury be given a ticket to contest the assembly elections that year. However, not only was Chowdhury allotted a ticket to contest the elections despite the fact that he was absconding, he won the elections from the Nabagram Assembly constituency.

• Chowdhury has a keen interest in science and he actively works toward promoting scientific innovations. Apart from that, he also strives for the preservation of literature and customary folk arts. He has participated various in Bangla Cultural activities held around the country to showcase Bangla culture.

• Besides having a voracious appetite for reading, Adhir is also a writer and has published books in Bengali and English including Between Two Silences (English),  Aguner Rangneel (Bengali), The History of Murshidabad District Congress – 1885 – 2010, and 125, Bochorer Alokey Murshidabad Zila Congress (Bengali).

• In 2022, Adhir Ranjan appealed to Anand Sharma, the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, to discuss the software application ‘Tek Fog,’ in their next meeting. The violative software application Tek Fog was used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to artificially inflate the popularity of the party, harass its critics and manipulate public perceptions at scale across major social media platforms. It came under the radar when a whistleblower alerted the independent Indian news publication The Wire about it after which The Wire conducted a two-year investigation and published its findings in January 2022.

• On 20 September 2023, Adhir Ranjan raised an important issue, stating that the newly distributed copies of the Constitution lacked the terms ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular.’ These copies were handed out to the Members of Parliament on the first day of proceedings at the new Parliament building on 19 September 2023. ^[18]Deccan Herald In an interview, Adhit elaborated on this, saying,
  

  The new copies of the Constitution that were given to us…the one we held in our hands and entered [the new Parliament building], its Preamble does not have the words ‘socialist, secular.”

  In the interview, Adhir also expressed concerns about the BJP government’s intentions regarding this issue. He emphasised the seriousness of the matter and indicated that other Members of Parliament would join in raising this matter.