Tension in Sitalkuchi as BJP MLA Baren Chandra Barman faces protest during temple visit, escorted

Cooch Behar: A tense situation unfolded in Sitalkuchi on Thursday when BJP MLA Baren Chandra Barman was surrounded by protestors while visiting a temple. The incident occurred at the Gosaihat Bazar Kali Mandir, located in the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency, and has sparked a war of words between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

According to reports, the MLA had visited the temple on the occasion of Guru Purnima to offer prayers. As he was leaving the temple premises, a large group of people gathered and began shouting slogans and protesting. The situation escalated when protesters surrounded his vehicle. He was eventually escorted away from the spot by his security personnel.

Speaking to the media, BJP MLA Baren Chandra Barman said: “I had come to the temple for puja, but as soon as it began, Trinamool Congress-backed miscreants began abusing and heckling me.

I was not even allowed to complete the rituals. This is not the first time — similar incidents have happened during my other public appearances. Despite the presence of police, they remained inactive.”

TMC’s Cooch Behar district chairman Girindra Nath Barman dismissed the allegations, stating: “The MLA has done nothing for his constituency — not even built a proper road.

The public is angry because he has failed to deliver. Moreover, the BJP-led Central government has withheld MGNREGA funds, depriving poor workers in Bengal of their rights. The people are simply voicing their frustration.”