Suvendu faces BLO body’s protest outside CEO office

Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was confronted by members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee outside the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office on Tuesday afternoon, with protesters raising “chor chor” (thief) slogans and allegedly hurling a shoe at him. He had led a BJP delegation to meet the CEO.

The demonstrators, identifying themselves as pro-TMC BLOs, said they had been staging a sit-in outside the CEO’s office for days but were denied entry, with the gates allegedly kept shut. Adhikari’s entry into the premises reportedly further fuelled their anger.

The demonstrators alleged that they view Adhikari as a “thief,” accusing him of not fulfilling his constitutional duties as Leader of the Opposition. They said the slogan-shouting formed part of their protest against him.

Adhikari did not respond to the protests outside the CEO’s office.

However, after entering the premises, he said: “After the election results are out in May, everyone will be hung upside down.”

The remark has since sparked fresh political debate.

Notably, this is not the first time Adhikari has faced protests from BLOs. In December last year, agitators had surrounded him and raised similar slogans.