Baby Chakraborty | KalimNews | Kolkata | June 13, 2025 : Fresh political unrest has erupted in West Bengal following communal clashes in Maheshtala, South 24 Parganas, where allegations surfaced of vandalism at a local temple and an adjacent Tulsi platform. The incident has triggered strong reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose top leaders were detained by police while attempting to protest near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat on Thursday.
According to reports, BJP’s West Bengal unit president and Union Minister of State Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, General Secretary Jagannath Chatterjee, Purulia MP Jyotirmoy Mahato, and other party workers were intercepted en route to Maheshtala by the Kolkata Police. The group was later detained in Kalighat during a demonstration outside the CM’s residence. They were released hours later.
In a post on social media platform X, Dr. Majumdar criticised the police, writing, “Just yesterday, the same West Bengal Police were forced to wave white cloths in surrender before radical elements in Rabindranagar — spineless, helpless, and humiliated. And today, suddenly, they appear as warriors — zealously following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s orders with blind obedience.”
Majumdar further alleged that “radical fundamentalists run amok” in the state, and accused the administration of suppressing dissent through police action. He wrote that BJP leaders and karyakartas were “shamelessly arrested — a naked display of administrative tyranny.”
The BJP’s protest was in response to incidents that occurred a day earlier in Maheshtala, where clashes reportedly resulted in the vandalism of a Shiva temple, damage to vehicles, and injuries to police personnel. BJP leaders claimed the violence was targeted and communal in nature, and demanded the immediate reconstruction of the Tulsi stage near the Rabindranagar police station.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also met with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at Raj Bhavan to brief him on the situation. In a post on X, Adhikari alleged that police deliberately failed to contain the violence for fear of political backlash. “Instead, they stood by as miscreants attacked Hindus, vandalised a Shiva temple, torched bikes and vehicles, and pelted stones under the nose of Rabindranagar Police Station,” he wrote.
Adhikari dismissed the official description of the violence as a local dispute over illegal construction and called the incident a continuation of communal unrest that has plagued areas like Malda and Murshidabad in recent months. “Where is the accountability for your failure?” he asked.
The BJP claimed that the Chief Minister has remained silent on the issue, accusing her of appeasement politics and neglecting the safety of the Hindu community. Attempts to reinstall a symbolic Tulsi Manch by BJP workers were reportedly blocked by police, leading to further political friction.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police confirmed that 40 people had been arrested in connection with the Maheshtala incident. Authorities have filed three separate cases under relevant legal provisions and said that they are closely monitoring the situation to prevent further escalation.
In a statement on X, West Bengal Police urged political leaders to refrain from visiting the violence-hit zones, stating, “The situation is under control. Any provocative action may disrupt peace and order.”
As political tensions rise, Maheshtala remains under increased security surveillance. The broader implications of the violence and the state’s response continue to fuel debate between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP, highlighting the deepening polarisation in Bengal’s political landscape.