West Bengal’s political atmosphere turned tense on Wednesday after Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district. The incident triggered sharp political reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the ruling All India Trinamool Congress of carrying out a “targeted assassination.”
According to police sources, unidentified assailants opened fire at Rath’s vehicle near the Chowmatha area of Madhyamgram. He reportedly sustained multiple bullet injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The attackers fled the spot immediately after the shooting, and an investigation has been launched to identify those involved.
Senior BJP leaders alleged that the murder was politically motivated and accused Trinamool Congress-backed miscreants of being behind the attack. Reacting strongly to the incident, Suvendu Adhikari said the killing was not an isolated crime but part of a broader pattern of political violence in the state. BJP workers staged protests in several districts demanding immediate arrests and a central agency probe into the case.
The Trinamool Congress rejected the allegations and accused the BJP of attempting to politicise a criminal incident. Party leaders said the police should be allowed to conduct an impartial investigation before drawing political conclusions.
Following the incident, security was tightened in several parts of North 24 Parganas and Kolkata amid fears of retaliatory clashes. Police personnel were deployed in sensitive areas to prevent escalation of tension. Officials confirmed that CCTV footage from nearby locations was being examined and forensic teams had visited the crime scene.
The killing comes at a time when West Bengal is already witnessing heightened political tension following the recent Assembly election results and allegations of post-poll violence. Political confrontations between BJP and Trinamool supporters have been reported from multiple districts over the past few days.
Leaders from different opposition parties condemned the murder and demanded swift action against the perpetrators. Meanwhile, BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital and at several party offices across the state, raising slogans and alleging a collapse of law and order in Bengal.
