Kolkata, 11 January (H.S.): West Bengal politics witnessed fresh tension on Saturday night after an alleged attack on the convoy of Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the incident, while raising serious questions over the role of the police.

The incident took place in the Chandrakona Road area of Paschim Medinipur district. According to reports, Adhikari was returning from a pre-scheduled public meeting in Purulia when the incident occurred around 8:20 pm near a market crossing at Chandrakona Road. It is alleged that a group of TMC supporters blocked the convoy and attacked the vehicles using sticks, bamboo and iron rods, leading to chaos for a considerable period.

In a video statement, Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the attackers belonged to a particular group and alleged that the assault was carried out in an organised manner. He further claimed that the incident took place in the presence of police personnel, but no effective steps were taken to control the situation. According to him, timely intervention by central security forces prevented the situation from turning more serious.

Protesting against the incident, the Leader of the Opposition entered the Chandrakona Road police outpost and sat on a dharna inside the premises. He stated that he would not leave the police station until an FIR was registered and the accused were arrested. Adhikari also made it clear that he would sign the complaint only after receiving the FIR number and complete details of the sections invoked.

-------

Sukanta Majumdar Questions State Government

Reacting strongly to the incident, BJP’s state leadership targeted the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Union Minister of State for Education and West Bengal BJP president Dr Sukanta Majumdar condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X, terming the attack “pre-planned and state-sponsored.” He alleged that the incident reflected the police’s inaction and questioned the state of law and order.

Dr Majumdar said that if even the Leader of the Opposition and elected representatives are not safe in the state, it raises serious concerns about the condition of democracy. He accused the Chief Minister and the state police administration of undermining democratic values.

The Trinamool Congress, however, rejected the allegations, claiming that the incident was not a planned attack but a result of local resentment. TMC leaders alleged that the BJP was trying to politicise the incident and create a narrative ahead of the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, the police said that the entire incident is being investigated and further action will be taken based on the findings.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh