BJP Condemns TMC Following ‘Palghar-like’ Incident: The Controversy of Being Hindu in Bengal

The recent assault on three sadhus (seers) in West Bengal’s Purulia district has sparked a political row between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP has accused the TMC of being behind the attack and compared it to the 2020 Palghar mob lynching in Maharashtra. The TMC has denied the allegations and claimed that the BJP has imported troublemakers from neighbouring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

What happened in Purulia?

On January 11, 2024, three sadhus from Uttar Pradesh, who were en route to the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal, were stopped by a mob near Gourangdih in Purulia district. A video of the incident surfaced on social media, in which the sadhus were purportedly seen being stripped and beaten by the mob. The sadhus claimed that they were asking for directions from some local girls when they were attacked by the crowd, who accused them of trying to kidnap the girls. The police intervened and rescued the sadhus and arrested 12 people in connection with the case .

How did the BJP react?

The BJP condemned the attack and blamed the TMC for it. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the video on his official X handle and alleged that goons linked to the ruling TMC were behind the assault on sadhus. “Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal… Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC,” Malviya wrote on X. He also said that it was a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal and that under Mamata Banerjee’s regime, a terrorist like Shahjahan Sheikh gets state protection and sadhus are being lynched. Shahjahan Sheikh is a TMC strongman and a local panchayat leader, whose properties were raided by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month. The ED sleuths came under attack from unidentified people in the North 24 Parganas district of Bengal during the raids.

BJP’s West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar also hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government over the assault. “Shocking incident from Purulia; Sadhus en route to Gangasagar were stripped and beaten by criminals linked to TMC, echoing the Palghar tragedy. Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, a terrorist like Shahjahan gets state protection while sadhus face violence. Being Hindu is a crime in WB,” Majumdar tweeted. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also equated the incident with the mob attack on ED and claimed that the structure of law and order has collapsed in West Bengal.

How did the TMC respond?

The TMC refuted the BJP’s charges and said that there was a misunderstanding between the sadhus and some local girls over language problem, which led to the mob violence. TMC state spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said in a social media post on X that the government of West Bengal has long successfully organized the Gangasagar Mela without any mishaps. He also alleged that the BJP has imported troublemakers from neighbouring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He cited an example of a 19-year-old youth who brandished a gun during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah last year, which led to communal violence in the area. The youth was later arrested from Munger in Bihar. Bhattacharya said that the police will conduct a thorough investigation and those responsible for this disruptive political strategy will be brought to justice.

Why is this incident significant?

The incident comes at a time when West Bengal is gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to be a fierce contest between the BJP and the TMC. The BJP has been trying to make inroads into West Bengal by projecting itself as a champion of Hindu interests and accusing the TMC of appeasing minorities and suppressing Hindus. The TMC has been countering this narrative by highlighting its development work and accusing the BJP of spreading communal hatred and violence. The incident also reflects the polarized atmosphere in West Bengal, where religious identity has become a major factor in electoral politics.