‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans, gunfire, bulldozers: Bengal erupts after polls, TMC alleges revenge attacks

West Bengal plunged deeper into a spiral of post-poll violence on Tuesday as bullets flew in North 24 Parganas, a Lenin statue was allegedly smashed in Murshidabad, and fresh allegations of political attacks surfaced from multiple districts.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused BJP supporters of unleashing “organised terror” after the election results, while the BJP denied involvement and countered that attempts were being made to malign the party.

The most shocking incident unfolded in North 24 Parganas’ Nyajat, where the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nyajat police station, Bharat Prasun Kar, was allegedly shot while trying to stop violent clashes between rival groups. A constable accompanying him was also hit by bullets.

According to police sources, tension had been brewing in the Rajbari area under Nyajat police station after political workers allegedly clashed following the election outcome.

As violence intensified, OC Bharat rushed to the scene with police personnel. Moments later, gunfire allegedly rang out from inside a nearby house.

One bullet struck the OC in the leg, while another injured a constable. Both were rushed to Kolkata’s Chittaranjan Hospital for treatment.

The firing of a police officer sent shockwaves through the administration, with the incident becoming one of the most dramatic symbols of Bengal’s rapidly escalating post-poll unrest.

Meanwhile, political temperatures soared in Kolkata after TMC MP Derek O’Brien accused BJP supporters of bringing a bulldozer near New Market to demolish a meat shop during victory celebrations.

Sharing a video on social media, Derek alleged that the bulldozer was brought “with police permission” while Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel allegedly stood nearby.

“Let the whole world see this,” Derek wrote in his post, accusing the BJP of intimidation politics after its electoral victory.

Kalyan Banerjee, too, posted videos showing how BJP allegedly attacked their party offices. 

Police, however, rejected claims that permission had been granted for any demolition activity. Officials clarified that permission had only been issued for a victory rally and not for bringing bulldozers.

A senior police officer said legal action would be initiated and maintained that no confirmed report of vandalism had yet been received.

But the violence narrative intensified further in Murshidabad’s Domkal, where CPM worker Shafiqul Islam was allegedly shot in the neck late Tuesday night. He was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.

According to police sources, Shafiqul was returning home from his farm when unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire on him in a deserted stretch near Rathtala Para.

One bullet reportedly missed him, but another pierced his neck before the attackers fled.

CPM leaders directly blamed the TMC, alleging the attack was politically motivated revenge violence after the election results.

TMC leaders denied the allegations and accused the opposition of spreading misinformation to inflame tensions.

However, it was the dramatic destruction of a Lenin statue in Murshidabad’s Jiaganj that triggered the biggest political outrage of the day.

In visuals that quickly spread across social media, Lenin’s bust outside Sripat Singh College was allegedly reduced to rubble by a group of youths armed with iron rods, hammers, and shovels.

Eyewitnesses claimed slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” echoed through the area while the attackers smashed the statue in full public view.

Some witnesses alleged the attackers shouted, “Lenin will no longer remain here. Shivaji’s statue will be installed here.”

Left leaders compared the incident to the 2018 toppling of Lenin statues in Tripura after the BJP’s victory there, claiming Bengal was now witnessing a similar “politics of intimidation and ideological erasure.”

Adding to the tension, allegations of attacks on TMC leaders continued to pour in from North 24 Parganas’ Swarupnagar.

Victorious TMC candidate Bina Mondal alleged that a mob arrived outside her residence with loud music before hurling abuses, throwing bricks and vandalising vehicles after breaking open the gate.

Bina accused BJP workers of orchestrating the attack. “If this can happen to a winning MLA, imagine the condition of ordinary TMC workers,” she said.

The BJP denied the charges. BJP leader Ripon Das claimed the attackers were not BJP supporters and alleged that “people wearing saffron scarves” were trying to frame the party deliberately.

Amid mounting allegations of statewide violence, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of unleashing a “reign of terror” after the polls.

Claiming that hundreds of party offices had been vandalised and multiple workers attacked, Abhishek said the party would fight back politically and legally.

“Party offices are being destroyed, homes are being attacked, and workers are being targeted. We will not remain silent,” he warned.

As Bengal witnesses yet another explosive chapter of post-election unrest, fear, political blame games, and violent confrontations continue to grip the state, raising serious questions over law and order in the immediate aftermath of one of the fiercest elections in recent memory.