West Bengal’s political landscape heated up as Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari filed an urgent petition in the Calcutta High Court, decrying inadequate security arrangements following a volatile protest by Booth Level Officers. The Wednesday filing targets state police negligence after Tuesday’s ugly showdown at the Chief Electoral Officer’s Kolkata office.
Details poured out in court: Adhikari’s visit to deliver documents turned confrontational when BLOs, allegedly aligned with ruling Trinamool Congress, swarmed the area. Amid the melee, shoes were flung at him, yet police stood idle, failing to de-escalate or protect, his counsel argued before Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya.
The petition paints a picture of deliberate inaction—pushy crowds, open hostility, and zero immediate arrests despite the violence. Adhikari’s team urged the bench for directives ensuring foolproof security, referencing a pending PIL that demands buffers against unruly political mobs during official duties.
Flashback to recent history: Adhikari’s convoy was ambushed in Chandrakona, prompting another High Court plea. There, police flipped the script, booking him instead of attackers until judicial intervention halted it. These patterns, the plea contends, expose a biased protection racket.
Condemning the BLOs’ ‘thuggish’ conduct, Adhikari has ramped up rhetoric against what he calls state-sponsored intimidation. The Division Bench greenlit the petition, with hearings eyed by week’s end.
This saga unfolds against West Bengal’s tense pre-election vibe, where opposition figures face mounting pressures. Adhikari’s legal push not only seeks personal redress but challenges the broader narrative of security equity for political rivals. Stakeholders watch closely as the court weighs in on balancing democratic rights with public order.