West Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday alleged that he had received a threat call from Pakistan, claiming extremist elements target him because he openly speaks against what he described as the “growing radical network” in the state. The alleged call came two days before he met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, where he discussed political developments in West Bengal.
Adhikari said this was not the first time he had received such threats, adding that similar calls from Bangladesh-based numbers have also been reported in the past. “Bengal has become a safe haven for Islamic terrorism,” he said, asserting that extremist groups avoid launching attacks in the state because they feel “protected” under the Mamata Banerjee-led government. “Terror strikes don’t happen in Bengal because they know that as long as Mamata Banerjee is in power, they are safe. But people like us get threat calls. I got a threat call from Pakistan just two days back. I have informed the agencies about it,” Adhikari stated.
An audio recording of the alleged call surfaced later, in which a man, speaking in Hindi, can be heard saying, “I am calling from Pakistan. Be a little careful, otherwise you will be blown up. How many BSF men have been blown up in India! You will be blown up too. Be careful.” Reports indicated that the call originated from a number beginning with the +966 country code, which corresponds to Saudi Arabia, though the caller identified himself as speaking from Pakistan.
The call reportedly came while Adhikari was in Delhi for his meeting with Amit Shah. He said that he immediately notified central agencies and requested a thorough probe into the incident.
As of now, neither the state police nor the central agencies has issued an official statement regarding the alleged threat or any enhanced security measures for Adhikari. However, the episode has reignited political debate in Bengal, with BJP leaders accusing the state government of neglecting internal security, while the ruling Trinamool Congress has dismissed the claims as politically motivated.
