West Bengal post-poll violence: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari calls aide's killing a 'cold-blooded murder'
Suvendu alleged the killing was a "planned and targeted" attack preceded by a recce.
Chandranath Rath, a personal assistant of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Madhyamgram of Dakkhin 24 Pargana district last night (6 May).
The brutal killing, occurring within 48 hours of the BJP's coasting victory in the West Bengal assembly polls, has triggered sharp political reactions and escalated tensions across the state.
Rath, 41, who served as the executive assistant to the outgoing leader of the incumbent opposition, was returning to his residence at around 10:30pm when his SUV was intercepted near the Doharia junction.
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According to eyewitnesses and police reports, a small four-wheeler first blocked Rath's vehicle, after which motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at him from point-blank range through the car window.
Doctors at the hospital where he was rushed said Rath was brought dead with two bullet wounds to his chest that pierced his heart and another in his abdominal area.
Rath's driver also sustained bullet injuries and remains in critical condition at a Kolkata hospital.
Suvendu Adhikari, tipped to be the West Bengal's next chief minister, visited the hospital at midnight and described the incident as a "cold-blooded murder".
He alleged the killing was a "planned and targeted" attack preceded by a recce.
Launching a veiled attack on the outgoing Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, Adhikari termed the situation a "Maha jungle raj" and claimed that BJP workers were being targeted in various districts following the poll results.
"When the BJP government takes charge, we will start the job of cleaning up these criminals," Adhikari asserted, adding that he has briefed incumbent Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President Nitin Nabin on the matter.
Adhikari stopped short of directly naming any organisation behind the attack and appealed to party workers not to take the law into their own hands.
"We don't want to draw any conclusion as of now, as the police are investigating the matter," he said.
West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Siddhnath Gupta stated that investigators have recovered cartridges from the scene and seized the small car used in the ambush.
While the vehicle's registration appears to be from Siliguri, police suspect the number plate may have been tampered with.
Forensic teams and investigators are currently scanning CCTV footage to identify the killers, he said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress has condemned the murder and demanded a court-monitored CBI probe.
In a statement, the party also alleged that three of its own workers were killed in post-poll violence by "BJP-backed miscreants" over the last three days.
Chandranath Rath was a key figure in Adhikari's political operations, playing a vital role in his election campaigns in Nandigram and Bhabanipur, where Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee.
State BJP President Samik Bhattacharya remarked that the murder of such a close aide was intended to send a "political message" amid the changing political landscape of the state.
