Kolkata: In a shocking escalation of political violence, BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh were viciously assaulted by unidentified assailants in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district on Monday evening.
The brazen attack, which left Murmu with severe head and body injuries, has ignited fresh accusations of anarchy under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime.
The incident unfolded as Murmu was returning from a local event in his vehicle. Eyewitnesses described a sudden hail of stones raining down on the MP’s car, shattering windows and forcing the convoy to a halt amid chaos. Murmu, a prominent Adivasi leader and vocal critic of the state government, sustained critical wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment. MLA Ghosh, targeted in a parallel strike, escaped with minor injuries, but he decried the assault as a “cowardly bid to silence Opposition voices.”
BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya wasted no time in lambasting the Mamata administration, tweeting furiously: “This is TMC’s jungle raj in full swing — armed goons attacking elected representatives with impunity. Where is law and order in Bengal?” The party has demanded a high-level probe and immediate security enhancements for its leaders, alleging the attack stems from the TMC’s desperation ahead of upcoming polls.
As tensions simmer in the Dooars region, known for its ethnic fault lines, the violence underscores Bengal’s deepening divide. With Murmu’s condition stabilising under medical care, all eyes are on the state government’s response — will it rein in the marauders or fuel the BJP’s narrative of a lawless frontier?