A significant incident unfolded in West Bengal’s Bankura district, where the father of a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist, Sk Muhammad Mafik, tragically passed away at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. His son, Shaik Abdul Hafeez (25), a volunteer with the CJP, alleges that his father’s death on Saturday, following an assault on Thursday, was at the hands of local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers. The assault reportedly occurred after Hafeez, as part of the CJP’s national ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign aimed at improving government schools, raised concerns about the condition of a primary school in Karisunda, located in the Indus community development block.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder and national convener of CJP, swiftly condemned the alleged act, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible on Sunday afternoon. In a fervent post on X, Dipke expressed his outrage, stating, “Abdul went to inspect the govt school in Bengal where he once studied. He lost his father after they were attacked by goons (allegedly from BJP) for speaking up about the poor condition of govt schools. It makes my blood boil that people are being murdered simply for demanding better schools.” He further affirmed CJP’s unwavering support for Abdul and his family, vowing to ensure justice and asserting that such acts of violence would not deter their efforts. “CJP stands firmly with Abdul and his family. We demand the immediate arrest of those responsible for his father’s death. A CJP team will visit West Bengal and ensure that Abdul and his family get justice. And to the hatemongers who think they can silence us through violence: we are not going to back off. Attack our members, threaten us, try to intimidate us, we will only fight harder,” Dipke declared.
Within hours, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari provided an update on the situation, confirming that three of the five individuals named in the First Information Report (FIR) had been apprehended. He also stated that efforts were underway to locate the remaining two suspects. Adhikari, who also holds the position of home minister, emphasized the state’s commitment to maintaining law and order. He clarified that while arrests had been made, the complaint filed did not explicitly identify the assailants as BJP workers, referring to them instead as “unknown individuals.” In addition to the named suspects, five more individuals have been detained for interrogation, indicating a thorough investigation into the matter. This incident has garnered significant attention in India news circles, highlighting concerns about political violence and freedom of expression.
Abdul had previously shared his ordeal in a video posted on Thursday. In it, he alleged that a group of BJP workers visited his home and physically assaulted both him and his father just hours after his inspection of the primary school for a survey. He further claimed that these individuals demanded he record a video apologizing for his criticism of the school’s condition and falsely state that he was acting under external influence. Abdul steadfastly refused to comply with these demands. He also speculated that his involvement in an agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi might have made him a target.
State Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul also weighed in on the incident, assuring that no one involved in the deadly assault would be spared. Acknowledging the vast number of BJP workers across the country, Paul stated, “There are millions of BJP workers across India. It is not possible for our party to rectify the character of each and every worker. But we are not Trinamool Congress. We will arrest every person responsible for the man’s death. Working for BJP doesn’t give anyone the right to even hurl a shoe at someone.” This statement underscores the party’s stance against violence, irrespective of the alleged affiliations of the perpetrators. The ongoing police investigation and the political reactions emphasize the gravity of the situation and the public’s demand for accountability and justice for the family of the deceased man, Sk Muhammad Mafik, as reported by CJP volunteer’s father dies.
