Kolkata
Madhyamgram Shooting Deepens Political Tensions in Bengal
The killing of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram has triggered political outrage in West Bengal, with the BJP calling it a “targeted assassination” and the TMC demanding a court-monitored CBI probe.
Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night, escalating political tensions in West Bengal following the assembly election results.
According to preliminary information, Rath was returning home around 10.30 pm when unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted his SUV near Doltala. Eyewitnesses claimed the attackers blocked the vehicle with a small four-wheeler before opening fire at close range and fleeing the scene.
Doctors at the hospital where Rath was taken declared him dead on arrival. Medical officials said he sustained multiple bullet injuries, including gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. His driver was also injured in the attack and remains in critical condition at a Kolkata hospital.
Television visuals from the scene showed the SUV’s windshield shattered by bullets and police personnel securing the area amid heightened tension.
Reacting strongly to the incident, Adhikari described the killing as a “cold-blooded murder” and alleged that the attackers had conducted prior reconnaissance before carrying out the assault. However, he refrained from directly naming any organisation and urged BJP workers not to take the law into their own hands.
“This is the result of 15 years of Mahajungle Raj in Bengal,” Adhikari alleged while claiming that attacks on BJP workers continued in several districts after the election results. He also stated that he had spoken with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Nitin Nabin regarding the incident.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including state president Samik Bhattacharya, termed the killing a planned political attack and accused the ruling All India Trinamool Congress of fostering violence in the state. Hundreds of BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital demanding immediate arrests.
The TMC condemned the murder and demanded a court-monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. In a statement, the party also alleged that three TMC workers had been killed in separate incidents of post-poll violence allegedly involving BJP-backed miscreants.
Director General of Police Siddhnath Gupta said cartridges were recovered from the crime scene and the vehicle believed to have been used in the attack was seized. Investigators are currently examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence to identify the assailants and determine the motive behind the killing.
