Panihati: The security situation in North 24 Parganas worsened on Wednesday night after five BJP supporters were injured in a crude bomb attack in Panihati. The blast occurred near St. Xavier’s Institution on Dutta Road, just hours after the fatal shooting of Chandranath Rath, a close aide to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. According to local police, the victims were interacting with residents in Ward 2 when motorcycle-borne assailants targeted the group with explosives before fleeing the scene.
The injured workers were rushed to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The BJP has alleged that the attackers were backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), describing the incident as part of a wider campaign of retaliatory violence following the assembly election results. The TMC has firmly denied these allegations, dismissing them as politically motivated. Notably, the site of the explosion is near the residence of Ratna Debnath, a newly elected BJP MLA and the mother of the high-profile RG Kar Hospital victim.
Senior police officials confirmed that an investigation is underway, with teams currently scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding area to identify the perpetrators. A heavy police contingent has been deployed in Panihati to prevent further clashes, and authorities have issued a public appeal for calm, urging citizens not to spread rumours. This latest flare-up adds to the mounting tension in West Bengal, as both major political camps continue to trade accusations of intimidation and state-sponsored terror.
