Police have arrested four people in connection with the recent attack on BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh in flood-hit North Bengal’s Nagrakata. Two of the main accused were apprehended on Wednesday, followed by two more on Thursday. The arrested have been identified as Sahanur Alam, Tofail Hossain, Ekramul Haque, and Govinda Sharma. Police officials said that efforts are underway to nab the remaining accused and assured that all those involved in the incident will be arrested soon.
The attack occurred on Monday, when the BJP leaders were distributing relief materials in Nagrakata, Jalpaiguri district. The situation turned violent, leaving Murmu seriously injured — the bone beneath his eye was fractured. He is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in North Bengal. Ghosh, who was also hurt in the attack, was discharged after two days of hospitalisation and has been advised to rest.
Following the incident, a major political storm has erupted in the state. The BJP has squarely blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for orchestrating the attack.
BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya alleged, “The TMC supporters attacked in the presence of the police. Now, two people have been arrested just to manage public outrage, but we know this police will not conduct an impartial investigation. That’s why we are demanding an NIA probe, and we are firm on that.”
The TMC, however, has countered the accusation sharply. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while returning from North Bengal to Kolkata, hinted that internal disputes within the BJP might be behind the incident.
“Charity begins at home. The incident took place in a BJP-dominated area. The MP, the MLA—all belong to the BJP. So, who is responsible?” she asked, adding a political twist to the unfolding controversy.
Political observers believe the Chief Minister’s remarks were a calculated move. After visiting Murmu in the hospital on Tuesday, Mamata Banerjee’s statement is being viewed as a strategic counter to the BJP’s narrative. Even as arrests are being made, the war of words between the BJP and TMC continues to intensify, making it clear that the incident has moved beyond law and order—into Bengal’s charged political battlefield.
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