The Union Home Ministry has intervened, seeking a detailed report after a major political controversy erupted in West Bengal. The incident involves an alleged attack on the convoy of the state's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, in West Midnapore district on Saturday night.
Allegations of a Premeditated Political Attack
According to Suvendu Adhikari, a BJP MLA from Nandigram, his convoy was targeted while he was returning from Purulia. He claimed that workers affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), armed with sticks and poles, carried out the assault. In a post on social media platform X, Adhikari stated the attack occurred around 8:20 PM on Saturday near Chandrakona Road market.
He accused the police present at the spot of being "mute spectators" and not intervening. "These cowards, emboldened by the Mamata Banerjee regime's culture of violence and impunity, attacked me right in the presence of Mamata Police," he wrote. Following the incident, Adhikari staged a sit-in protest, or dharna, at the Chandrakona police station, demanding action against the attackers. The protest lasted until 1:30 AM.
Contradictory Narratives from BJP and TMC
The political blame game intensified rapidly. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed a press conference in Delhi on Sunday, condemning the attack. He highlighted the failure to register an FIR and stated, "If the leader of opposition is attacked, you can understand the situation in the state." Officials from the Union Home Ministry also contacted Adhikari on Sunday to gather details, with the leader mentioning he was collecting video evidence.
In stark contrast, the Trinamool Congress has flatly denied any involvement. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh refuted the claims, saying, "No attack took place at all." He explained that TMC supporters were lined up on the roadside and only shouted slogans in response to provocation from BJP workers. Ghosh presented a counter-allegation, suggesting that central security personnel, in the chaos, may have assaulted BJP workers themselves, including a local BJP mandal president, and the police station drama was staged to cover this up.
Broader Implications and Political Fallout
Adhikari framed the event not just as a personal attack but as an "assault on voices opposing Trinamool." He vowed to continue his protest until accountability was enforced, claiming the TMC was unable to handle public dissent. This incident has further heightened the already tense political atmosphere in West Bengal, bringing the issue of political violence and law and order back into sharp national focus.
The demand for a report by the Union Home Ministry indicates the seriousness with which the central government is viewing the allegations, especially concerning the security of a prominent opposition figure. The conflicting accounts from the two major parties ensure that the Chandrakona incident will remain a heated point of contention in the state's volatile political landscape.
