Kolkata
Political Row Erupts After Viral Video from Cooch Behar
A fresh political controversy erupted in West Bengal on Thursday after BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on social media that allegedly showed a Trinamool Congress leader hiding under a bed to escape an angry crowd.
According to Malviya, the incident took place in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar, where local residents reportedly surrounded the residence of TMC leader Shahidul Miya.
The BJP leader claimed that residents accused Miya of collecting “cut money” ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 from beneficiaries of government housing schemes. The term “cut money” is commonly used in West Bengal politics to refer to alleged commissions or illegal payments demanded from beneficiaries of government welfare programmes.
In his post on social media platform X, Malviya alleged that investigations into such practices were intensifying and that those accused of exploiting poor beneficiaries were finding it increasingly difficult to evade scrutiny.
The BJP has repeatedly raised allegations of corruption and illegal collection of funds in connection with welfare schemes in West Bengal, making it a key political issue in the state.
As of now, there has been no immediate official response from the All India Trinamool Congress regarding the video or the allegations made by the BJP. The authenticity of the video and the claims surrounding the incident have not been independently verified.
The development comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, where both the BJP and TMC continue to trade accusations over governance, corruption, and implementation of welfare schemes.
Political observers note that allegations related to “cut money” have remained a contentious issue in the state’s political discourse, often surfacing during election campaigns and periods of heightened political rivalry.