Suvendu's aide shot dead; BJP accuses TMC of 'targeted assassination', Bengal on boil

KOLKATA: In a shocking development within 48 hours of the West Bengal assembly poll verdict, Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in a brazen, point-blank attack in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday, triggering sharp political reactions and escalating tension in the area.

According to preliminary information, Rath was intercepted at Madhyamgram's Doltala area by motorcycle-borne assailants, who tailed his vehicle, forced it to stop and opened fire before fleeing.

Rath, the executive assistant to the leader of opposition in the state assembly, was reportedly returning home in Madhyagram when he was murdered.

Local news channels reported that he sustained critical injuries in the firing and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the official media channel of the BJP said.

"The victim was brought dead with two bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, and another bullet hit his abdominal area. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him," a doctor said.

Adhikari arrived at the hospital around midnight.

Rath, according to party sources, played a crucial role in Adhikari's campaigns in the Bhabanipur constituency, where the BJP leader triumphed over former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The killing triggered an immediate political storm, with BJP leaders calling it a "targeted assassination" and accusing the Trinamool Congress leadership, including Banerjee, of fostering lawlessness, and the TMC hitting back with a demand for a court-monitored CBI probe.

The Trinamool Congress also condemned the killing of Rath. "We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants over the last three days, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force," the party said in a statement.

"We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI probe so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay," it said.

Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy, and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest, the statement added.

As news of the killing spread, hundreds of BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital, shouting slogans against the ruling TMC and demanding the immediate arrest of those behind the attack.

The atmosphere outside the medical facility turned emotionally charged as senior BJP leaders, newly elected MLAs and party workers rushed there through the night.

Supporters broke down in tears, while party workers accused the ruling dispensation of unleashing “terror” after the assembly election results.

A heavy police contingent was deployed outside the hospital and along Jessore Road to prevent any untoward incident.

Rath's driver also sustained bullet injuries and has been moved to a hospital in Kolkata in critical condition.

In a statement to a local news channel, BJP leader and MLA-elect Kaustav Bagchi, who was present at the hospital, said, "This was a targeted attack. The assailants followed Rath's car for a long time before pumping him with bullets. This is the handiwork of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the criminals are identified. We will not cremate the body till then." "We have been preaching peace, but TMC has made the biggest blunder," newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari said.

The killing comes at a time when Bengal remains politically on edge after one of the most bitterly fought assembly elections in recent years, with both the BJP and the TMC accusing each other of intimidation, attacks and retaliatory violence across several districts.

Senior police officers reached the spot and launched an investigation.

Efforts were underway to identify the assailants and ascertain the motive behind the attack, sources said.

Outside the hospital, slogans of “we want justice” and “stop political killings” continued late into the night as supporters gathered around senior party leaders amid tight police deployment.

Investigators were also trying to ascertain whether Rath was specifically targeted because of his proximity to Adhikari, or whether the attack was part of a wider political conspiracy.

Police sources said forensic teams collected samples from the vehicle while investigators scanned nearby surveillance footage late Wednesday to reconstruct the sequence of events.

Barasat police district SP Pushpa said efforts were underway to identify the assailants, examine CCTV footage from nearby areas and ascertain the motive behind the attack.