A fresh political storm has erupted in West Bengal after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Manoj Kumar Oraon was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers while distributing flood relief materials in his Kumargram constituency in Alipurduar district on Tuesday. The incident occurred a day after similar assaults on BJP MP Khagen Murmu and Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh in Jalpaiguri, intensifying the political friction between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP in the flood-hit regions of North Bengal.
Oraon sustained injuries during the attack and was later taken to a local hospital for treatment. Speaking from his hospital bed, he accused the TMC of orchestrating the assault. “While trying to help flood-hit people, I was suddenly surrounded and attacked. This is the state of democracy under the TMC,” he said, condemning what he described as “goonda raj” in the state.
The TMC, however, rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.” A local TMC leader countered that Oraon had “assaulted an elderly man first,” leading to the scuffle. “The BJP is trying to politicize relief work to gain sympathy,” the leader added.
The West Bengal BJP sharply criticised the attack, accusing the ruling party of “terror politics.” In a post on X, the party wrote, “Whenever we stand beside flood-hit people in North Bengal, the TMC unleashes its rampage! In Mamata Banerjee's rule, even showing solidarity with people in distress has become a crime!” The post was accompanied by visuals of the injured MLA and damaged vehicles, reportedly from the scene.
Another post by the BJP read, “The TMC does not understand the language of humanity; it only understands the politics of terror. While people in North Bengal await help amid floods, the TMC remains busy spreading fear and violence.”
The attack on Oraon came soon after Monday’s incident in Jalpaiguri’s Nagrakata area, where BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Sankar Ghosh were pelted with stones while visiting flood-affected areas. Both leaders sustained minor injuries. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya condemned the attack, writing, “TMC’s Jungle Raj in Bengal! Our MP Khagen Murmu, a respected tribal leader and two-time MP from North Malda, was attacked by TMC goons while on his way to help with relief and rescue efforts.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also weighed in, calling the attacks “outright appalling” and reflective of the “pathetic law and order situation” in the state. “The manner in which our party colleagues, including a sitting MP and MLA, were attacked while serving flood victims highlights the insensitivity of the TMC,” Modi said, urging the state government to “focus on relief rather than violence.”
In a conciliatory gesture, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited BJP MP Khagen Murmu at a private hospital in Siliguri on Tuesday. Murmu, who represents the Maldaha Uttar constituency, is currently under medical supervision. After meeting him and speaking to the doctors, Banerjee told reporters, “He has high blood sugar, and it needs to be controlled. I wished him a speedy recovery.”
The incidents have deepened the political divide in Bengal, with both parties trading charges of exploiting a natural disaster for political gain. The BJP alleges that the TMC is deliberately obstructing its relief efforts, while the TMC claims the BJP is using flood relief distribution for “photo-ops and propaganda.”
Meanwhile, the flood situation in North Bengal remains grim, with Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Darjeeling districts among the worst affected. Continuous rainfall has triggered landslides and flash floods, leaving at least 30 people dead and many others missing. Rescue and relief operations by the NDRF and state agencies are underway, but many villages remain cut off due to damaged roads and overflowing rivers.
