In a sharp escalation of political tensions in West Bengal, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has penned a strongly worded letter to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, urging immediate intervention in the violent clashes that erupted in Beldanga. The town in Murshidabad district witnessed ugly scenes of mob violence, communal clashes, and widespread arson, leaving locals in fear and the administration scrambling to restore order.
Adhikari, a vocal critic of the Trinamool Congress government, detailed the sequence of events in his letter. According to him, the violence began on Wednesday evening when a group allegedly attacked a Durga Puja pandal, triggering retaliatory actions that spiraled out of control. Shops were torched, vehicles set ablaze, and panic gripped the area as rival groups clashed with sticks, stones, and crude weapons. Eyewitnesses reported police inaction, with forces arriving hours after the mayhem had begun.
The BJP leader accused the state police of bias and demanded a detailed inquiry into why adequate security measures were not in place despite prior intelligence about potential unrest. ‘The state government has failed its citizens,’ Adhikari wrote, calling for deployment of central forces to prevent further escalation. He highlighted that similar incidents during festivals have become a pattern under the current regime, eroding communal harmony.
Local BJP workers claimed over 20 people were injured, with several requiring hospitalization. Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing commercial establishments and residents fleeing their homes. The district administration imposed Section 144 restrictions and deployed additional police personnel, but Adhikari dismissed these as knee-jerk reactions.
Governor Bose, known for his proactive stance on law and order issues, has previously reprimanded the Mamata Banerjee government over similar failures. Adhikari’s letter puts renewed pressure on Raj Bhavan to invoke constitutional provisions if the state machinery continues to falter. Political analysts see this as part of the ongoing BJP-TMC slugfest ahead of next year’s assembly polls.
As tensions simmer, residents of Beldanga are bracing for aftershocks. Adhikari concluded his missive with a stern warning: without swift gubernatorial intervention, the fragile peace could shatter once more, plunging the region into deeper chaos.