Five BJP supporters were allegedly injured in a bomb attack in the Panihati area of North 24 Parganas district on Thursday, hours after the killing of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide Chandranath Rath triggered political tensions in West Bengal.
According to police, the attack took place in Panihati where unidentified persons allegedly hurled bombs targeting BJP workers. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said an investigation has been initiated into the incident.
The attack reportedly took place near residence of RG Kar victim.
The bomb attack came less than a day after Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel and close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.
Investigators suspect Rath’s killing was a planned attack. According to police sources, motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted Rath’s SUV near the airport corridor around 10:30 pm before opening fire at close range. His driver was also critically injured in the incident.
The BJP has termed Rath’s killing a “targeted political assassination” and accused the state administration of failing to control political violence. Following the incident, West Bengal Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the IG CID to probe the murder.
Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also reacted strongly to the developments, alleging that BJP workers continued to face attacks despite the party’s electoral gains in the state.
