The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that a team of its members will visit West Bengal following the death of a volunteer's father in an alleged assault in Bankura district. Co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka confirmed that the team will visit Bengal tonight and will rest only after securing justice for the family. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted on X that the party stands firmly with the family and demands immediate arrest of those responsible for the father's death. The CJP has vowed to fight back against violence, stating that 'attack our members, threaten us, try to intimidate us, we will only fight harder. We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated'.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that three of the five accused persons have been arrested in connection with the death of CJP volunteer Shaik Abdul Hafeez's father. Speaking at a press conference, Adhikari clarified that 'the complaint did not refer to these people as BJP workers. The complaint said they were unknown individuals'. According to Adhikari, the police are looking for the two suspects named in the complaint, while five more people have been detained for interrogation besides those named in the FIR. The Chief Minister, who also holds the home minister portfolio, emphasized that 'it is our duty to maintain law and order' and confirmed that the police are actively pursuing all leads in the case.
CJP volunteer Shaik Abdul Hafeez has posted a video alleging that some BJP workers went to his home and assaulted him and his father hours after he visited the primary school to conduct a survey. In the video, Abdul alleged that the BJP workers told him to record a video apologising for raising concern about the school's condition and wanted him to say in the video that he was working under instruction from outsiders. Abdul said he refused to comply with their demands and suggested that 'it is possible that I became a target because I took part in the agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi'. The incident took place in the Karisunda area of Bankura district after Mr. Hafeez participated in the party's nationwide 'School Thik Karo' campaign at a government school on August 13 to assess the condition of its infrastructure.
West Bengal's new BJP government under Suvendu Adhikari has made a decisive shift toward business-friendly policies, with Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta declaring the state's commitment to be 'pro-business, unequivocally and emphatically so' just over a month after taking office on May 9. According to reports from Business Standard, this represents a stark contrast to the previous Trinamool Congress regime, which had scrapped industrial incentives offered since 1993 to channel resources toward welfare programs. The government's first budget announced a ₹5,000 crore allocation for a new industrial incentive policy, marking a sharp break from the previous approach.
State Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul has issued a stern warning, stating that 'there are millions of BJP workers across India. It is not possible for our party to rectify the character of each and every worker. But we are not Trinamool Congress. We will arrest every person responsible for the man's death. Working for BJP doesn't give anyone the right to even hurl a shoe at someone'. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said any allegation of assault should be investigated by the police and action taken if charges are established. The political charge has gained additional traction because of a recent change in the legal status of the national song. Parliament last month passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending to 'Vande Mataram' provisions that already applied to the national anthem.
Despite the pro-business stance, the government faces significant fiscal constraints with ₹8.16 trillion in debt overhang. According to Abhirup Sarkar, former professor of economics at the Indian Statistical Institute, the government has expanded spending on welfare schemes including the Annapurna Yojana and ₹6,200 crore allocation toward dearness allowance. As reported by Business Standard, the challenge lies in balancing welfare commitments with industrial development incentives, with revenue projections appearing optimistic given the current fiscal position.
