Kolkata, Aug 2026 : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday denied allegations that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were involved in protests against former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to Bijpur in North 24 Parganas district.
Banerjee, who served as Chief Minister for three consecutive terms, faced protests on Sunday afternoon when she visited the family of Birju Keot, a Trinamool Congress worker who allegedly died in police custody. The incident triggered a fresh political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Trinamool Congress.
Reacting to the protests, Adhikari claimed that the demonstrations were an expression of spontaneous public anger rather than a politically organised BJP protest. He also took a jibe at Banerjee, advising her to use headphones when appearing in public.
“Mamata Banerjee should wear a headset when stepping out in public. That way, she wouldn't have to hear chants of ‘thief’,” Adhikari said.
Keot, the husband of Jenny Sharma Keot, a Trinamool Congress councillor who had resigned from the Kanchrapara Municipality, was arrested by police in connection with several allegations, including extortion. He died in jail on Saturday under circumstances that his family has described as suspicious.
The family has alleged that Keot was beaten to death while in custody and has demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
On Sunday, Banerjee, accompanied by two Trinamool Congress MPs, travelled to Bijpur to meet Keot’s family. Her convoy encountered protests on the way, with reports that shoes and mud were thrown at her vehicle. Bricks and stones were also allegedly hurled at the car.
Banerjee subsequently alleged that the protesters were “BJP-backed miscreants” and claimed that she could have suffered serious injuries had the vehicle's windows been open.
Responding to the allegations, Adhikari strongly denied any BJP involvement. He said he did not recognise any BJP leaders or workers among the protesters and noted that no BJP flags were visible during the incident.
“I did not see any familiar faces of BJP in the protest. I did not even see the BJP flag,” Adhikari said.
He claimed that the family itself had not invited Banerjee to participate in the protest and wanted the circumstances surrounding Keot’s death to be investigated independently.
According to Adhikari, the family has expressed confidence in the state administration and wants the truth behind the death to be established. He said the relatives wanted authorities to determine whether Keot had been assaulted in custody or died because of an illness.
“They want the mystery to be revealed. Whether he was beaten to death or not and whether he died due to illness or not, they want to find out. They want justice,” he said.
Adhikari also rejected suggestions that the state administration had failed to provide adequate security to Banerjee. He pointed out that she continues to enjoy Z-plus security cover and said the government had not withdrawn the protection.
“She has Z-plus category security. We haven't withdrawn it. A senior officer from the Directorate of Security is present here,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that, based on footage he had seen, senior police officers had provided security support to Banerjee during the incident.
Adhikari made the remarks during his visit to Panihati in North 24 Parganas on Sunday evening, where he attended a memorial programme marking the second anniversary of the death of the doctor who was raped and murdered in the RG Kar case.
The confrontation in Bijpur has intensified the political battle between the BJP government and the Trinamool Congress, with both sides trading allegations over the circumstances surrounding Keot’s death and the protests during Banerjee’s visit.
Taking another swipe at the former Chief Minister, Adhikari attributed the chants against her to what he described as widespread public anger against the Trinamool Congress. He said the former Chief Minister should use noise-cancelling headphones if she did not want to hear such slogans during public appearances.
The incident is expected to further fuel the political debate in West Bengal over law and order, custodial deaths and allegations of political violence.
