Kolkata, 15 November (H.S.) :

Fresh political tension and allegations of factionalism have gripped the Panihati area in the North 24 Parganas district following the death of an active Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker. The victim reportedly died after being assaulted while attempting to intervene in a local market dispute. In the wake of the incident, local BJP MLA Ratna Debnath has raised serious questions about the region's law and order situation, demanding immediate intervention from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The deceased’s wife has squarely blamed the attack on recent defectors from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and their supporters.

According to local sources and the police, members of the BJP Yuva Morcha’s Panihati-1 mandal unit were allegedly assaulting a businessman on Saturday evening. Ruma Saha, the secretary of the BJP’s Panihati-1 mandal, intervened and protested against the violence. Following her intervention, some workers from her own party allegedly began verbally abusing her. When her husband, active BJP worker Arup Saha, protested against his wife's humiliation, the attackers turned on him. Arup sustained severe injuries in the scuffle and fell gravely ill. He was rushed to the Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Sunday morning.

Detailing the sequence of events, Ruma Saha stated that she was returning home from the Kankinara party office at around 7:30 pm on Saturday. Spotting some youths arguing in front of a shop, she intervened and advised them to return home. However, she soon received information about a renewed commotion and rushed back to the spot along with her husband. Ruma alleged that a mob of 40 to 50 youths was present, including individuals identified as Rajdeep, Raja Tahsildar, and Surajit Biswas, alias Noni. As she tried to pacify the crowd, Raja and another individual named Payel aggressively charged toward her. When Arup tried to shield her and protested, Raja and the other youths allegedly pushed him violently on the chest. Ruma claimed that when she called the local police station for help, the Inspector-in-Charge (IC) redirected her to contact the Police Commissionerate. Arup’s health deteriorated rapidly after returning home, ultimately leading to his death.

The incident has triggered massive tension across Panihati. Visiting the bereaved family to offer condolences, MLA Ratna Debnath lashed out at the local administration and a specific faction within her own party. Raising questions about internal coordination, she leveled serious allegations against the BJP’s North Kolkata Suburban District President, Chandicharan Roy. The MLA claimed that the district president had arbitrarily appointed convenors across various wards in Panihati, a majority of whom are TMC turncoats. She alleged that these new entrants, who joined the party after the election results, are being given undue importance and are responsible for fomenting unrest in the area. She further noted that separate individuals have been placed in charge of all 29 wards, operating without any coordination with the district leadership.

Expressing her deep dissatisfaction with the local administration's role, Debnath stated that despite repeated warnings regarding the deteriorating peace in the area, the authorities failed to take corrective measures. She emphasized that a criminal has no political color—whether from the TMC or the BJP—and must be punished strictly according to the law. The MLA revealed that she had apprised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari of the worsening situation in Panihati just three to four days prior and had taken steps following his instructions. While she demanded stringent legal action against all those involved in the incident, the rival faction within the local BJP has declined to comment on the controversy. At the time of reporting, the police have not made any arrests in connection with the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh