Bengal BJP leader dies after alleged assault by party workers in Panihati: Cop

A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader died in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Saturday night after he was allegedly assaulted by members of a rival group within the party when he intervened in a dispute involving his wife, police said.

Arup Saha, the husband of BJP’s local mandal (unit) secretary Ruma Saha, was allegedly assaulted after he came to her rescue during an altercation with a group of party workers in Panihati. Ruma had intervened when the group allegedly assaulted a local trader, Shankar Dey. Arup later complained of chest pain and was taken to Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, where he died, his wife said.

“Arup Saha, the deceased, was the husband of the BJP’s local mandal secretary Ruma Saha. People are alleging that Arup went to rescue his wife when she was verbally abused by rival group members for trying to save a trader from their assault. Nobody, however, lodged any complaint till Sunday morning,” a district police officer said, requesting anonymity.

Ruma Saha said she intervened after hearing that followers of a BJP youth wing leader were assaulting the trader.

“I went to the rescue of a trader when I heard that followers of a BJP youth wing leader were assaulting him. These people surrounded me and verbally abused me. They hit my husband when he intervened. He complained of chest pain after we returned home and died at Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital,” she said.

Shankar Dey said, “I fell on the ground when they hit me. The BJP workers surrounded Ruma Saha when she tried to stop them.”

Ruma Saha alleged that the assailants were followers of Nirmal Ghosh, a former Trinamool Congress MLA from Panihati who faces multiple criminal charges and was recently released on bail. Ghosh is also an accused in the rape and murder case involving the daughter of BJP MLA Ratna Debnath at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024.

Ghosh could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Debnath, who won the Panihati assembly seat for the BJP in May, told the media that “unwanted elements” continued to operate within the party despite repeated warnings.

“I earlier requested the government to intervene. Politicians involved in illegal activities during the Trinamool Congress regime are still active in Panihati,” she said.

The incident comes amid repeated warnings from senior BJP leaders and ministers that party workers and leaders involved in organised crime, including extortion, would face action. State BJP leaders have also alleged that Trinamool Congress leaders and their followers who joined the BJP after the assembly elections on May 4 continued to engage in extortion and intra-party violence.

West Bengal finance minister Swapan Dasgupta admitted on Saturday that extortion continued under the BJP government.

“Extortion is like the new normal. People’s confidence in the administration cannot be restored until it ends. I have stopped some extortions in my constituency but we have not been able to end it fully,” Dasgupta said.

On Friday, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya issued a warning at an event organised by the party’s women’s wing. He alleged that some police personnel were tacitly supporting illegal activities.

“Some (BJP) mandal presidents are thinking they are the police and some police personnel are thinking they are the mandal presidents. No lawlessness will be allowed. Identify those who are tarnishing the party and its flag and file FIRs (first information reports).

“Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is also in charge of the police department. I am there too. Give me the papers and I will ensure that these people land in jail,” Bhattacharya said.

The Trinamool Congress said Bhattacharya might have good intentions but the law and order situation had deteriorated under the BJP government.

Kalyan Banerjee, a senior lawyer and five-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP from Sreerampur in Hooghly district, questioned how complaints could be registered if the police refused to accept them.

“Samik may have good intentions but how can an FIR be filed if the police do not accept complaints?” he said.

“I can cite an instance from Sreerampur. A woman was molested by BJP workers who also extorted money from her, but the police told her that it was impossible for them to register her complaint,” Banerjee alleged.

In a separate incident on Saturday, Koustav Bagchi, the BJP MLA from Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district, had two people arrested for allegedly selling domestic LPG cylinders illegally in his constituency.

“People who ran illegal businesses and gambling dens in Barrackpore during the Trinamool regime are still active,” Bagchi said after facing a demonstration by some BJP workers.