Unidentified assailants shot dead Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas late Wednesday night. The murder came just days after the BJP secured a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections, winning 207 of the 294 seats.
Rath played a crucial role in managing Adhikari’s election campaigns in Nandigram and Bhabanipur, where Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in one of the constituencies.
The killing intensified tensions amid rising political violence across West Bengal following the Assembly election results announced on Monday. Officials said police arrested more than 1,500 people statewide in connection with post-poll violence since Monday evening.
Authorities also deployed central forces outside the private hospital where Rath was taken and in several parts of Madhyamgram after the incident sparked unrest.
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Suvendu Adhikari Seeks Peace as Tensions Escalate
BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital after Chandranath Rath’s killing. They raised slogans against the Trinamool Congress and shouted, “We will crush TMC.” Tensions quickly escalated in the area.
Reacting to the incident, Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP would not jump to conclusions. However, he pointed to the long history of political violence in West Bengal.
Adhikari said the Director General of Police had assured a proper investigation. He described the murder as a planned and cold-blooded attack. He also said the attackers used a car during the crime.
The BJP leader urged party workers to stay calm. He asked supporters not to take the law into their own hands. Adhikari also urged them to trust the administration and wait for justice.
He said investigators were still examining whether the murder had a political connection. According to him, police believe the attackers planned the murder over the last three or four days. They also carried out a recce before the attack.
Adhikari assured Rath’s family of the BJP’s support. He also referred to reports of attacks on BJP workers in other parts of the state.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul alleged a political motive behind the killing. She linked the incident to Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in Bhabanipur.
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