A bomb explosion and firing were reported near the residence of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Arjun Singh in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas on Friday.
A video of the incident was shared by news agency PTI. The clip showed billows of smoke coming out of the explosion site. Mint could not independently verify the video. Eyewitnesses told news agency PTI that smoke engulfed Jagatdal’s Meghna More because of hurling of bombs.
Sharing the purported video on social media platform X, Arjun Singh alleged that a group of people threw stones, hurled bombs and fired multiple gunshots at his office-cum-residence Meghna More in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas around 8.30 am on Friday.
According to news agency PTI, Singh claimed that he sustained a splinter wound during the incident.
Singh wrote on X, “This morning, while everyone was occupied with Navratri Puja, several jehadis and goons, under the protection of Namit Singh—an accused in NIA cases and son of a local @AITCofficial Councillor—attacked my office-cum-residence, Mazdoor Bhawan, with the local police looking on.”
He claimed that police were mere spectators as the assailants brandished firearms openly. "Around 15 bombs were thrown, and more than a dozen rounds were fired by these people," he said.
An officer from Jagatdal police station said there were no confirmed injuries and that senior police officials, along with additional forces, were at the scene to conduct an investigation.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called the explosion a "shameful incident" and called for an investigation. He said, “If an ex-MP is not safe, then who is safe in West Bengal? The matter should be duly investigated and I will talk to the central government and the Union Home Minister about this incident.”
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also reacted to incident, saying that this morning, “prominent goons and renowned anti-socials associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress Party attacked the home of senior BJP Leader & Former MP; Shri Arjun Singh, in Bhatpara; North 24 Parganas district.”
"They even hurled crude bombs. As usual the Police played the role of mute spectator and didn't do much to deter the criminals," Adhikari said.
He added that video footage was enough to identify and arrest the culprits for this heinous crime. "I hope DGP@WBPolice will at least try to use the visuals for nabbing these miscreants," he said.
Meanwile, Jagatdal MLA and TMC leader Somenath Shyam alleged that Arjun Singh had himself fired four rounds. Shyam was quoted by PTI as saying, “After losing his political footing, he is blaming the TMC for problems he created himself, along with other local conflicts unrelated to our party.” Singh, who previously switched allegiance from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP, lost to TMC's Partha Bhowmick in the recent general elections.
