The political atmosphere in Panihati turned volatile on Wednesday as Ratna Debnath, the BJP candidate and mother of ‘Abhaya,’ faced intense protests during her election campaign.
The incident occurred in Ward No. 6 of Panihati Municipality, where Debnath alleged she was physically intimidated and obstructed by TMC supporters and a group of ASHA workers.
According to the BJP candidate, while she was conducting door-to-door campaigning, a mob chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogans surrounded her and launched an unprovoked attack. “TMC's ‘thug force’ tried to assault me. Some of my supporters were injured. But they cannot silence Abhaya's mother; I will ensure they all end up behind bars,” she declared defiantly.
However, the TMC candidate from Panihati, Tirthankar Ghosh, offered a different perspective. He claimed that the BJP candidate was accompanied by outsiders who were spreading misinformation about the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme being discontinued. According to Ghosh, local women only questioned why such rumors were being spread, which led to the heated exchange. As the 2026 Assembly polls approach, such frequent face-offs indicate a high-voltage contest ahead in the North 24 Parganas district.