Kolkata
Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, faced protests on Sunday while attending a Kali Puja event in Raidighi, South 24 Parganas.
Residents banged on his convoy and shouted slogans against him, although no injuries or major damage were reported.
The incident follows recent attacks on BJP leaders, including Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and BJP MP Khagen Murmu with party MLA Shankar Ghosh, highlighting growing tensions in the state. Adhikari noted that several women and men protested against the Centre’s decision to halt funds for 100 days’ work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in West Bengal.
Writing on X, Adhikari accused “illegal Bangladeshi Muslims” of orchestrating the attack, alleging the involvement of TMC Zila Parishad member Rekha Gazi and SP Koteswara Rao. He said his convoy faced obstruction at seven locations, including an attack near Lalpur Madrasa.
Adhikari emphasized that he attended the event as a Hindu citizen, not as a BJP leader, and that the protests interfered with religious freedom. He claimed that infiltrators, fearful due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, were venting their anger and settling in the area with the support of a TMC network.
He added that such actions were making it difficult for Hindus to practice their culture freely. “Hindus are being forced to sell land and move, and their numbers are decreasing,” he said, drawing parallels with the decline of Hindus in Bangladesh. Adhikari said he would return for Jagadhatri Puja, vowing not to be intimidated.
