BJP's offensive against Left puts CPI(M) back in Bengal politics mainstream

For years, the Left struggled to remain politically relevant in West Bengal as the state's contest became increasingly bipolar, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP dominating the landscape. But the political fallout from the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Baruipur on 5 July appears to have unexpectedly thrust the CPI(M) back into the centre of the state's political discourse.

Rather than restricting its attacks to the TMC — the state's main opposition party on paper — over the crime, the BJP has increasingly turned its guns on the Left, accusing its leaders of fomenting unrest, filing criminal complaints against senior CPI(M) figures and engaging in an escalating war of words. The result has been an unlikely revival of the Left's visibility, with the party once again emerging as a principal participant in Bengal's political battles.

The confrontation intensified after state panchayat and rural development minister Dilip Ghosh on Thursday, 9 July launched a scathing attack on Left leaders and what he described as "intellectuals", accusing them of encouraging an atmosphere in which crime flourished while simultaneously opposing strict action against offenders.

"They stand by anti-social elements. They agitate when a major crime occurs, yet they also protest when the criminal is punished. They seek only self-publicity and do not care about societal safety," he said.

His sharpest remarks came while referring to the recent spate of egg-throwing incidents targeting political leaders. "If eggs must be thrown, then break them on the heads of these intellectuals and communists. Those who stand by criminals and their supporters should be answered in the same manner," Ghosh said.

The comments were particularly striking because BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya had only recently distanced the party from the politics of egg-throwing, urging workers not to resort to such tactics.

The BJP has also lodged a complaint at Baruipur police station against four people, including senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty, and leaders Lahek Ali and Monalisa Sinha, accusing them of criminal conspiracy, incitement through speeches and social media, spreading misinformation and attempting to provoke unrest after the Baruipur incident.

Chakraborty dismissed the allegations as political vendetta. "It is laughable. Anyone hearing this would laugh. Many such false cases have been filed against me in the past. Even those who filed them later realised it was a foolish move. This is an example of political persecution. The rest is simply ridiculous," he said.

The political confrontation has meanwhile spilled beyond Baruipur. In Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district, CPI(M) leader Minakshi Mukherjee was pelted with eggs while returning after meeting the family of a deceased party worker. The CPI(M) blamed BJP supporters for the attack.

Recording the incident on her mobile phone, Mukherjee questioned those gathered and demanded the arrest of those responsible. "Montu Miyan — his family fears he was murdered. Sitalkuchi police station refused to register a complaint ever since his body was found. There is no clarity on how the post-mortem was conducted," she said.

She accused the BJP of resorting to intimidation even as families waited for justice. "And in the midst of all this, we witness this uncivilised behaviour by the BJP. Is this what passes for governance in West Bengal?" she asked.

The CPI(M), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and other Left organisations have simultaneously expanded protests across the state over the Baruipur case and a series of other incidents, organising demonstrations in multiple districts demanding justice, police accountability and improved law and order.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim accused both the police and the BJP government of failing to deliver the change they had promised. "The chief minister makes grand announcements every day, yet the Baruipur incident has exposed the police's utter inaction. When the family filed a missing person report, the police failed to treat it with the seriousness it deserved," he said.

Salim argued that the problem lay not with the law but with its implementation, alleging that political patronage for criminals had merely changed hands.

"The Trinamool used to stop the opposition with guns and pistols, whereas the BJP is now deploying 'egg-missiles'. But this will yield no results. By laying siege to the DSP's office, our comrades have compelled the authorities to arrest the culprits," he said.