Sukanta faces ‘go back’ slogans, convoy blockade in Bengal; TMC calls it BJP’s ‘internal rift’

Union Minister and former West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday faced “go back” slogans and a brief convoy blockade at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, with the ruling TMC describing the episode as the outcome of the saffron party’s “internal rift”.

Majumdar, who had returned to Kolkata late on Wednesday after a foreign tour, was on his way to meet party workers at Diamond Harbour when he was allegedly attacked by supporters of the Trinamool Congress near Sarsia. More recently, following the BJP’s celebrations over the party’s victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, around a dozen BJP workers were injured after clashes broke out during a victory rally in the area. The injured are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

As Majumdar’s convoy entered Sarisa shortly after noon, a group of youths surrounded his vehicles, raising slogans and alleging neglect by the BJP’s senior leadership.

“We face attacks, but leaders only deliver speeches from the stage,” some of the protesters were heard saying.

While those shouting slogans claimed to be the BJP’s grassroots workers, alleging apathy from local leaders, Majumdar, the union minister of state for education, squarely blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for “engineering” the obstruction.

“This is not the first time an attempt has been made to stop me in Diamond Harbour. TMC’s intimidation does not scare me. The entire protest was planned. There is no law and order in Bengal,” he alleged while talking to reporters.

Issuing a sharp warning, he added, “If we can help cool things down in Jammu and Kashmir, I can do it here too.”

His remarks immediately drew political heat, with the TMC mocking the minister’s allegations and insisting that those who blocked the union minister’s convoy were “disgruntled BJP workers”.

“It is entirely their internal feud. Those who protested were the BJP’s lower-rung cadres. Its organisation in Diamond Harbour has been fractured for years,” a TMC district functionary said.

The central minister’s convoy was halted for a few minutes before the police intervened, allowing Majumdar to resume his visit to interact with the injured workers and their families.

With Diamond Harbour repeatedly turning into a flashpoint and Majumdar’s ‘Jammu & Kashmir’ comment adding a new layer of controversy, political observers said Thursday’s episode is likely to sharpen tensions in the run-up to the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.