West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya to delete or modify a social media post that blamed Hindutva miscreants for alleged vandalism at his Kolkata residence. Adhikari warned that legal steps would be pursued if the statement was not removed or corrected.
Addressing reporters, Adhikari asserted that Bhattacharya had offended the broader Hindu community by pointing fingers at Hindutva supporters prior to the conclusion of any formal investigation. He noted that law enforcement had stepped in swiftly to preserve public order and had already detained an individual in connection with the case.
Adhikari stated that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader must take down or alter his remarks within a day of the press conference. He emphasized that any provocations threatening public safety and order would face zero tolerance from authorities.
While confirming that the incident would undergo a thorough probe, Adhikari questioned how the politician could publicly accuse Hindutva activists on social media without established proof. He noted that police intervention had already led to an arrest following a formal complaint.
Bhattacharya, a prominent legal professional and senior CPI(M) figure, had reported that unidentified individuals targeted his home in Kalikapur near the EM Bypass. According to his Facebook statement, masked youths on motorcycles threw liquor bottles and shattered window panes around five in the morning, narrowly missing his domestic help.
Following the incident, the former Kolkata mayor filed a formal police complaint. Authorities subsequently registered two additional first information reports against Bhattacharya at the Topsia and Garfa police stations in response to the controversial wording used in his online posts.