KOLKATA: In a dramatic escalation of security concerns, West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari approached the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, highlighting grave lapses in his personal protection amid rising threats. The move comes just a day after a contentious protest by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) outside the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in central Kolkata.
Adhikari’s legal team presented the petition before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, accusing state police of failing to provide adequate safeguards despite known risks. The lawyers detailed how, during Tuesday’s incident, protesters allegedly hurled shoes at Adhikari in full view of on-duty officers who did nothing to intervene.
The protest erupted as Adhikari arrived to submit a deputation. A group of BLOs, reportedly backed by Trinamool Congress sympathizers, gathered aggressively, leading to pushing and shoving. Despite the chaos, police response was sluggish, allowing the situation to spiral, according to the petition.
This isn’t Adhikari’s first brush with court intervention on security matters. A prior Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking stricter protocols to keep political agitators at bay during his public engagements remains pending before the Chief Justice’s bench. The new plea builds on that, spotlighting the recent BLO confrontation as evidence of systemic failures.
Earlier, Adhikari had knocked on the High Court’s doors following an alleged attack on his convoy in Chandrakona, West Midnapore. In that case, instead of pursuing the assailants, police filed charges against him—a move stalled by Justice Shubhra Ghosh’s interim order barring coercive action.
The Division Bench has admitted the fresh petition and scheduled a hearing for later this week. Adhikari’s sharp criticism of the BLOs post-incident underscores his frustration: ‘Such hooliganism cannot be tolerated,’ he stated, vowing to pursue justice.
As political temperatures rise in West Bengal ahead of electoral battles, Adhikari’s court battle signals deepening rifts over opposition safety. The outcome could set precedents for protecting dissenters in a charged atmosphere, with implications rippling across the state’s law enforcement framework.