A political row erupted in West Bengal after gunshots were fired at a public event allegedly attended by local leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress, in Malda district on Friday (January 24, 2025). The police filed a case after the incident but made no arrests.
Viral videos on social media showed three men firing rifles during the inauguration of a volleyball game in Malda’s Manikchak. Photos of local Trinamool leaders and police personnel at the event too were circulated.
Rifles from which the shots were fired were seized by the local Manikchak Thana Police and a case registered under the Arms Act, but no arrests were made.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sukanta Majumdar posted the video on his X handle and said, “Well done, @MamataOfficial! It is under your capable leadership that the bomb and firearm industry has flourished so successfully throughout West Bengal! Even though renowned industrialists have shut down their businesses in the state, inspired by ‘Didi’s’ reign of miscreants, the firearm manufacturing industry in districts like Malda and Murshidabad is thriving.”
Reacting to the accusations, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said he was not sure if the bullets fired were real or fake. He added, “This incident has no relation to politics and is a hyper-local issue. Organisers of the event and local police must look into the matter. We do not have further details on it.”
‘Gun culture’
Malda has been in the news for a spate of crimes in the past month and police have made efforts to seize illegal weapons in the district. Director-General of Police Rajeev Kumar visited Malda to assess the situation on January 17.
Two Trinamool leaders were shot dead in broad daylight in separate events in the district recently. Ataul Haque alias Hasu Sheikh, a Trinamool worker, was shot dead on January 14 while Trinamool councillor and party district vice-president Dulal Sarkar was shot dead on January 2. Two Trinamool leaders, Bakul Sheikh and former panchayat chief Esaruddin Sheikh, suffered critical injuries in the latter shootout.
The Malda Police arrested seven persons, including local Trinamool leader Narendrapur Tiwari, in connection with the murder of Sarkar.
Published - January 24, 2025 10:44 pm IST
