Tensions flared in Sitai late Monday night after a group of local residents staged a spontaneous protest outside the Cooch Behar residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Sangeeta Roy and her husband, Cooch Behar MP Jagdish Chandra Basuniya. The couple was ultimately forced to leave the area around 2 am on Tuesday under heavy police security.
According to police, Roy and Basuniya arrived at their Sitai Bazar residence around midnight with police protection. However, news of their arrival quickly spread, drawing a crowd of local residents who gathered outside their home. The protesters, without any party flags, raised slogans and voiced their discontent, causing the situation to escalate. Police personnel from Sitai Police Station rushed to the spot, but as security presence increased, so did the number of protesters. Fearing further escalation and potential unrest, the couple decided to leave the area under police escort and proceeded towards Cooch Behar town in the early hours of Tuesday.
Speaking over the phone, Basuniya stated that the visit was brief and intended to collect urgent documents while assessing the ground situation. “A group of people suddenly gathered and began protesting. Staying there could have triggered unnecessary political tension. I chose to leave immediately to maintain law and order,” he said.
The incident comes against the backdrop of shifting political dynamics in Cooch Behar following the Assembly election results declared on May 4. While the ruling TMC secured victory only in the Sitai constituency, Sangeeta had not returned to the area since her win, citing her son’s medical treatment in Kolkata. Basuniya, who later joined the NCPI after winning the Lok Sabha election, has been based in Delhi.
Apart from a single administrative meeting post-elections, the couple had remained largely absent from public life in Sitai and the broader district, which many believe contributed to growing public dissatisfaction.
Reacting to the incident, BJP leadership distanced its party from the protests. “We do not monitor personal movements. Our workers have clear instructions not to engage in such demonstrations. However, we cannot control spontaneous reactions from sections of the public,” said a BJP leader in the district.
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