Violence Escalates in West Bengal: Tribal BJP MLA Manoj Oraon Attacked Day After Attack On MP; Trinamool Denies Role

Kolkata: Adding to the mounting political violence in West Bengal, BJP MLA Manoj Oraon, a tribal leader, was attacked on Tuesday while on relief work in Alipurduar. The assault came just a day after two senior BJP leaders — Khagen Murmu and Shankar Ghosh — were assaulted by a mob in adjoining Jalpaiguri district.

According to party sources, Oraon was distributing relief material to flood-affected villagers in his constituency Kumargram when he and his entourage were surrounded and assaulted by a mob. The attackers allegedly hurled stones, vandalised vehicles and snatched weapons from security personnel providing protection to the MLA.

“We were attacked en route. Had we not escaped, the outcome could have been far worse,” said a local BJP functionary, who claimed that TMC-affiliated goons orchestrated the assault to obstruct BJP’s relief efforts.

On Monday, BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh were attacked while distributing flood relief in the Nagrakata area of Jalpaiguri. Reporters and party sources say the attackers smashed all windows of their vehicles, pelted stones, hurled bricks and slippers and in some accounts tried to drag them out. Murmu suffered serious head and facial injuries in the attack.

BJP leaders have decried these twin attacks as politically motivated, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state of deploying “violent tactics” to thwart the party’s relief outreach. “This is no coincidence — two tribal leaders targeted back-to-back,” said a senior BJP spokesperson.

In response, the West Bengal government has appealed for calm, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging that relief work not be politicised. She criticised visiting delegations for turning relief efforts into “photo opportunities” with large convoys. 

Meanwhile, BJP leaders alleged that local law enforcement failed to act decisively during both incidents, raising questions about political influence over the machinery.

In the attack on Oraon, assailants reportedly snatched firearms from his security personnel — a grave escalation that underscores the intensity of the confrontation.

The BJP has accused TMC of “Jungle Raj” in Bengal, warning that such assaults will further alienate tribal voters. TMC, in turn, denies culpability and attributes the violence to “local sentiment and anger”.

The fact that both victims are tribal leaders has alarmed activists and opposition groups, who see a pattern of intimidation targeting minority and marginalised voices.

Authorities have registered FIRs in both incidents and launched investigations. The Centre is being urged by BJP leaders to intervene, citing deteriorating law-and-order conditions in Bengal. Meanwhile, both Murmu and Oraon remain under medical care and under police protection as the state grapples with an atmosphere of fear and political turbulence.

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