Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath shot dead in West Bengal's Madhyamgram

NEW DELHI: Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in West Bengal's Madhyamgram on Wednesday. Rath was the BJP leader's executive assistant.Rath was rushed to Diversity Nursing Home, where he succumbed to bullet injuries.The incident took place in the Madhyamgram area, where Rath was allegedly targeted on a public road by assailant.According to party sources, the attack occurred near Doharia on Jessore Road in North 24 Parganas district when Rath was returning to his flat from Kolkata in a car. Assailants riding a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle and opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene.The attackers first fired at the front windshield of the car and then shot repeatedly at Rath, who was seated in the front seat. BJP leaders claimed several bullets hit his chest, leading to excessive blood loss, news agency PTI reported.Another person travelling in the vehicle was also injured in the attack and was later referred to another medical facility.According to the visuals, front windshield of the vehicle shattered by bullets as police and central forces cordoned off the area.News of the killing spread quickly, prompting BJP workers and supporters to gather outside the medical facility. Senior BJP leaders rushed to the spot, while Suvendu Adhikari also visited the area later in the night and was on his way to the hospital.Reacting to the incident, newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari said, “We have been preaching peace but TMC has made its biggest blunder.”A large police contingent was deployed in the area as tension mounted. Senior officers have launched an investigation, with efforts underway to identify the assailants and ascertain the motive behind the attack.Trinamool Congress (TMC) has condemned the killing of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram and alleged a series of violent incidents involving its workers in the aftermath of the recent polls.In an official statement posted on X, the party said: “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants over the last three days, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force.”Calling for strict action, the party demanded a probe into the incident.“We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI investigation so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay. Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest,” the statement further read.