Kolkata, Oct. 12 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said the alleged conspirators behind his assistant Chandranath Rath's murder would be brought to justice, adding that "Chandra was shot five times".

Addressing BJP supporters at Chowringhee Square, Adhikari said the party had broken records in the recent bypoll, asserting that minority voters had also backed the BJP and challenging the notion that it relied solely on Hindu votes in Bengal.

Adhikari accused the Trinamool of stoking community divisions, creating discord in Matua households and splitting Rajbanshi votes. He also cited the party's setback in Rejinagar, where its candidate allegedly forfeited the security deposit.

Claiming his government had fulfilled around 40 per cent of its promises, Adhikari warned that communities staying outside the mainstream risked isolation, urging broader political participation.

Adhikari announced that the foundation stone for a new Haldia Petrochemicals unit would be laid on October 14, followed by a Reliance-linked Campa Cola project at Haringhata on October 28.

Appealing for cooperation with the Centre, Adhikari invoked PM Modi's call for a "double-engine" government and urged people to give Bengal a "triple-engine" government by supporting BJP in the civic polls.

At the programme, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said Muslims wanted development and access to science, accusing the CPI(M) of communal politics in Nandigram. He also took a swipe at former CM Mamata Banerjee, saying she once considered herself a "Royal Bengal Tiger" but was now "playing with cockroaches in Delhi". He accused the TMC government of failing to attract investment, claiming the BJP was now bringing industries to Bengal.

Referring to the 2021 Nandigram results, he said Banerjee had blamed her defeat on "loadshedding", but TMC offices were now facing the same fate.

He also criticised filmmakers associated with 'Epar Bangla Opar Bangla' for allegedly remaining silent when Hindu pandals and temples were torched and vandalised.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.