Tensions boiled over in Kolkata as BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal’s fiery Leader of the Opposition, turned to the Calcutta High Court amid spiraling safety threats. Wednesday’s petition spotlights a shocking lapse: police inaction during a shoe-hurling protest by BLOs at the CEO’s office.
The incident unfolded Tuesday when Adhikari showed up for a routine deputation submission. Suddenly, a mob of Booth Level Officers—purportedly TMC-backed—erupted in fury, pelting him with footwear right under police noses. No dispersals, no defenses; just passive oversight, charges the filing to Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya.
Adhikari’s advocates hammered home the risks, linking it to a dormant PIL demanding no-fly zones for agitators around opposition leaders. This fresh writ amplifies those calls, citing the protest’s free-for-all as Exhibit A of police complicity.
History echoes: Recall the Chandrakona convoy assault, where Adhikari faced FIRs instead of aid—until Justice Shubhra Ghosh stepped in. ‘Repeated failures demand accountability,’ the petition asserts, seeking binding orders for robust cover.
Post-clash, Adhikari didn’t mince words, slamming the BLOs as ‘goons disrupting democracy.’ The court admitted the matter swiftly, teeing up end-of-week deliberations.
In West Bengal’s powder-keg politics, this High Court showdown transcends one man. It probes deeper questions: Can opposition voices thrive without ironclad shields? As hearings loom, the ruling could recalibrate security protocols, fortifying checks against overreach in a polarized state.