August 31, 2025

Kolkata witnessed a political storm on Thursday as a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers smashed the West Bengal Congress headquarters. Why the rage? It was over abusive words reportedly used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Rahul Gandhi’s "Vote Adhikar Yatra" in Bihar. The workers set fire to Congress hoardings and daubed black paint on posters of Rahul Gandhi! The fiery group was led by Rakesh Singh, a local BJP leader who was actually kicked out of the state Congress before. Sadly, after the chaos, police said, “Singh could not be traced after the incident.” The trouble started after a 33-second video clip went viral on social media. Although HT could not confirm its authenticity, the video showed a crowded stage with someone shouting abuses aimed at PM Modi while others tried to grab the mic. The West Bengal Congress fired back quickly. Subhankar Sarkar, the state Congress president, led a protest that blocked CIT Road demanding Singh’s arrest. Sarkar declared, “Congress will not tolerate this hooliganism. We know how to counter the BJP. A protest rally will be in the heart of Kolkata tomorrow.” Not all were blasting each other. BJP spokesperson Keya Ghosh said, “Our party does not endorse the culture of violence but how can one control spontaneous outburst.” Even Trinamool Congress (TMC) joined hands to condemn the attack. State general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “Congress and BJP may have political differences but that does not mean that the Congress office in Kolkata can be attacked. We condemn it.” Police remained tight-lipped till Friday evening, but multiple complaints were filed. A Bihar BJP team lodged a complaint at Kotwali police station. By evening, three more cases were registered at Laheriasarai police station in Darbhanga, Simri police station, and cyber police station. Youth Congress worker Md Naushad, linked to the viral video, apologized but said, “The video appears to have been shot after I left the spot, following Rahul Gandhi, who passed through. I have not yet watched the clip.” Darbhanga police confirmed they arrested Md Naushad and also a man named Rafiq alias Raza, who gave the derogatory speech from the Congress platform. Police are also questioning people who helped arrange the rally and tracking how the video went viral. The political heat is rising fast in Bengal and Bihar after this ugly episode. Who will gain from this fiery drama? Only time will tell!

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Tags: Bjp, Congress hq, Rahul gandhi, Abusive remarks, Pm modi, Kolkata,