Cooch Behar: Tensions flared in the Khagrabari area of Cooch Behar on Tuesday afternoon after the convoy of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was allegedly attacked by protestors en route to meet the District Superintendent of Police.
The incident reportedly occurred around 12:30 pm. According to BJP leaders, the protestors were allegedly workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) who surrounded Adhikari’s car and raised “Jai Bangla” slogans and vandalised the vehicle.
The windshield was reportedly broken and slippers were allegedly thrown at him. A police escort vehicle was also said to have been damaged during the protest. The Trinamool Congress, however, denied all allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated.
Adhikari, who was visiting Cooch Behar following a Calcutta High Court directive related to an earlier attack on a BJP MLA, alleged that the ambush was orchestrated by North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha. “This was a murder attempt. I was in Nishith Pramanik’s bulletproof car, which was completely damaged,” he claimed. “This attack was carried out in the presence of the police and led by minister Udayan Guha. Around 1,000–1,500 outsiders, including Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, were brought in for this. I will fight this in court.”
Soon after the incident, Adhikari visited the Cooch Behar BJP district office. Later, accompanied by MLAs Bishal Lama, Nikhil Ranjan Dey, Sushil Barman and Baren Chandra Barman, he met Superintendent of Police Dyutiman Bhattacharya to lodge a formal complaint. Responding to the allegations, Udayan Guha said: “All the people present were locals. Suvendu is provoking people with baseless accusations.
Our movement is against those who brand locals as Bangladeshis. BJP is trying to defame Bengalis across the country—arresting them as suspected Bangladeshis or serving NRC notices from Assam. That’s why people are angry.” District TMC president Abhijit De Bhowmik stated that their language movement programme was pre-scheduled. “When Adhikari’s convoy passed, individuals inside his car attempted to attack our workers with sticks, which escalated the situation. The police brought the situation under control.” TMC spokesperson Partha Pratim Roy added: “There was no vandalism. The claim of damage to the car is completely false.”