Bengal BJP demands death penalty for Trinamool leader arrested for murder

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (February 9, 2026) staged a protest in Barrackpore in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, demanding capital punishment for a Trinamul Congress councillor arrested on the charge of assaulting an 80-year-old man, leading to his death.

The Opposition party alleged that Rabindra Nath Bhattacharya, a councillor of North Barrackpore Municipality and also a lawyer, has been getting “VIP treatment” in police custody.

BJP workers, led by former MP Arjun Singh and Barrackpore organisational district BJP president Tapas Ghosh, marched from Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at Chiria More and reached near the Barrackpore court. They breached police barricades and staged a sit-in protest for some time, blocking traffic and triggering heated arguments and scuffles with police personnel.

Mr. Bhattacharya was arrested after he allegedly thrashed Tulsi Adhikari for protesting against an illegal construction in front of his house on February 7, 2026. Mr. Adhikari collapsed and was declared dead at a hospital in Barrackpore Cantonment, police said.

The Trinamul suspended Mr. Bhattacharya from the party for six years following his arrest. Trinamool’s Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick said the party has adopted a “zero-tolerance” stance in the matter.

“The councillor has been suspended for six years from the party. The police will take their own course of action. The party will not shield anyone involved in such an act,” Mr. Bhowmick said.

Mr. Bhattacharya had earlier dismissed the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated”, claiming that he was attacked.

During the protest, BJP leaders alleged that the accused was being given preferential treatment in custody and demanded exemplary punishment. “We are protesting the VIP treatment given by the police to the killer councillor,” Mr. Singh said.

“We are lifting the sit-in for the sake of students appearing for the Madhyamik (Class 10 State board) examinations. But once the exams are over, we will launch a larger law-breaking movement if justice is not delivered,” he said.