A day after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide and personal assistant Chandranath Rath was shot dead in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, his grieving mother broke down as she accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of targeting her family since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s poll debacle.
Speaking to reporters, Hasirani Rath said her son was “tortured and killed” in a planned attack and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.
“I want the guilty to be punished. I am a mother, I do not want them to be hanged. I want life imprisonment for them,” she said emotionally.
Claiming the attack was politically motivated, she alleged that her family had been under threat ever since 2021 when Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.
“They did this because the BJP came to power. Leaders from the ruling party were making provocative comments and threatening us. They had said after May 4 nobody from Delhi would be able to save us, and now they have shown what they meant,” she said.
“If my son had died in an accident, I would not have suffered this much pain. But the way they tortured and killed him all these stories being spread are made up by the Trinamool,” she added.
#WATCH | Chandipur, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal: Hasirani Rath, mother of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s PA Chandra, who was shot dead near Madhyamgram last night, says, “I want the guilty to be punished. I am a mother, I do not want them to be hanged. I want life imprisonment pic.twitter.com/h1OMxWFbO3— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2026
Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force officer who had been working closely with Adhikari for several years, was attacked late Wednesday night near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district.
According to police sources, Rath was travelling in his Scorpio SUV when a Santro car overtook and slowed down his vehicle. Moments later, motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire from close range before fleeing the spot.
Investigators said around 10 bullets struck Rath, hitting his chest, abdomen and head. He was rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Since the incident, the police have arrested 433 people and detained over 1,100 others across the state. Authorities have also registered more than 200 FIRs in connection with the killing.
Three local history-sheeters are currently being questioned, though the main attackers remain absconding.
Calling the incident a “pre-planned murder” and a “personal loss”, Adhikari appealed to BJP workers to maintain peace.
“A lot of incidents have happened in nearby areas. Police are investigating the entire case. It’s a pre-planned murder. It’s a personal loss for me. I appeal to all BJP workers to maintain peace. It’s a painful murder,” Adhikari told reporters.
Hours after the killing, a war of words erupted with BJP leader Arjun Singh accusing TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee of “orchestrating” the attack.
The TMC, however, strongly denied the allegations and condemned the murder. In a statement, the ruling party said political violence had no place in a democracy and demanded a court-monitored investigation into the case.
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Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
May 7, 2026 11:29 IST
