The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday launched an attack on the state government after posting a video on social media allegedly showing a civic volunteer assaulting a truck driver near Dankuni toll plaza.
According to police, the incident occurred on 19 February and the accused civic volunteer has already been placed under suspension. However, the video, purportedly recorded by the affected truck driver and his helper, has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the video shared by Mr Adhikari (not verified by The Statesman), a man identified as a civic volunteer or home guard is allegedly seen striking a truck driver with a baton. The BJP leader claimed that the footage was shot near Dankuni toll plaza and alleged that such incidents reflect what he termed “institutionalised corruption” in the name of naka checking across the state. “Stopping vehicles and trucks in the name of checking and extorting money has now become institutionalised corruption. If drivers refuse to pay, they are either framed in false cases or subjected to assault,” Mr Adhikari wrote, adding that civic volunteers and home guards often act in concert with sections of the police. He further asserted that no law in India permits civic volunteers to physically assault drivers.
Calling for immediate identification and legal action against the accused, Mr Adhikari alleged that such actions continue under the tacit patronage of the administration. “This Trinamul government needs to be removed. The situation in the state must change. What is needed is a BJP government,” he said, reiterating his party’s political slogan.
Echoing the charge, local BJP leader Sukanta Maji alleged that police personnel are being used to collect money and are compensated through allowances. “In uniform we see them as police, but without it they are Trinamul,” he claimed.
The Trinamul Congress, however, rejected the allegations. Trinamul youth president Jiarul Akn described the incident as condemnable but said the police had already initiated action. “In BJP-ruled states, laws are not followed. In this state they are. The police have taken steps. BJP-ruled states welcome criminals with garlands,” he countered. Police officials reiterated that the accused civic volunteer has been suspended and that departmental proceedings are underway.