The murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, has sparked a major political storm in West Bengal, just 48 hours after the state Assembly election results. Several party leaders issued statements late Wednesday condemning the shooting near Kolkata. He called on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC to take the “strongest possible action” in the matter.
TMC and BJP leaders react to Chandranath Rath’s killing
BJP leaders alleged foul play and described the incident as a targeted attack. Speaking from the hospital, elected MLA Kaustav Bagchi said: “This was a targeted attack. The attackers followed Rath’s car for a long time before they shot him. This is the handiwork of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the criminals are identified. We will not cremate the body until then.”
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Another BJP leader, Tarunjyoti Tiwari, added: “We were calling for peace, but the TMC made the biggest blunder.”
The All India Trinamool Congress demanded quick action. In a post on the
“We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-supervised investigation by the CBI so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay. Violence and political killing have no place in any democratic country and those guilty must be held accountable as soon as possible.”
How did the attack happen?
The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Doharia area of Daulatala district of Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata. According to initial reports, Rath was sitting in the front passenger seat when motorcycle-riding assailants started following his car. The attackers allegedly intercepted the vehicle and opened fire at close range through the rolled up window before fleeing the scene.
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Rath was shot multiple times, while his driver also sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to a Kolkata hospital in a critical condition.
Local reports, citing news agency PTI, said that Rath was taken to a nearby private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. One of the doctors confirmed the seriousness of his injury, saying: “The victim was brought dead with several bullets in his chest that penetrated his heart, and another bullet in the abdomen area, and there was no chance to revive him.”
Role in BJP campaign
Party sources cited by PTI said Rath played a key role in Adhikari’s political operations, including his campaign in Bhabanipur constituency, where the BJP leader scored a big win over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
