Madhyamgram: In a chilling linkage between campaign rhetoric and ground violence, the mother of slain aide Chandranath Rath has claimed that those (from the ruling party, a.k.a Trinamool Congress) who threatened BJP workers ahead of the West Bengal Assembly results have now “proved” their words.
Referring to remarks made during the election campaign, especially the extremely provocative and violent warnings spewed by Abhishek Banerjee the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerje, the mother of Chandra said, “Those saying after May 4 the fathers of Delhi won’t be able to save us… they have shown it.”
VIDEO | BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s PA Chandranath Rath murder case: Mother of the deceased said,
“I am a mother who lost her son, I want those behind this to be punished. However, I am also a mother. So, I don’t want the criminals to be hanged but given life imprisonment. I… pic.twitter.com/RPuro3d2wD
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 7, 2026
To Put the “fathers From Delhi” Quote Into Context:
The presence of central security forces during the West Bengal Assembly elections is widely believed to have curtailed the kind of booth capture and voter intimidation that have often been alleged in past polls, a development that reportedly unsettled sections of the ruling establishment.
In this charged atmosphere, remarks by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee (including the controversial “after May 4” statement) are now clearly seen as signalling that those drawing confidence from the deployment of central forces and the presence of leaders from Delhi would have to face consequences once counting concluded.
With results declared on May 4, the rhetoric has since been revisited in the context of post-poll tensions and violence, with opposition voices arguing that such statements reflected an intent to “settle scores” after the electoral process.
41-year-old ex-serviceman and softspoken and disciplined Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead late on May 6 by bike-borne assailants who intercepted his vehicle in Madhyamgram and opened fire at point-blank range.
Mother Waited With Cooked Dinner, Chandra Arrived In Body Bag:
What could be sadder than the fact that the mother had waited all these days to feed her son homecooked meal as he had been away on a rigorous and taxing election campaign tour across the state, and had missed eating a homecooked meal at the hands of his mother. “I was waiting with his favourite meal ready, and he had promised he will come home and dine after preparations for the swearing-in ceremony were done. He never made it,” laments the mother who is inconsolable now.
“This time, I personally take responsibility. After May 4, I’ll see whose father from Delhi comes to save them.”
That’s not political rhetoric, that’s intimidation, straight from Abhishek Banerjee, MP and nephew of Mamata Banerjee.
TMC has reduced Bengal’s politics to violence… pic.twitter.com/8oAX8I7ZNE
— BALA (@erbmjha) April 28, 2026
Chandra was accosted by the killers a mere 200 metres away from home and bullets were pumped into him and his driver. Despite efforts by doctors at a local hospital, he could not be saved and his driver is fighting for life too.
From Rhetoric to Reality?
The grieving mother’s statement draws a direct line to controversial remarks made by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee during the campaign, where he had said: “After May 4, I’ll see whose father from Delhi comes to save them.”
At the time, the comment triggered outrage from opposition parties, who termed it intimidation. In the aftermath of Rath’s killing, those words have resurfaced with sharper resonance.
‘They Did This Because BJP Came to Power’
Chandra’s mother has alleged a clear political motive behind the killing, claiming her son was targeted due to his association with Suvendu Adhikari and his role in the electoral battle.
“They did this because BJP came to power,” she said, adding that her family had faced threats in the aftermath of the results. For Chandranath Rath, Suvendu Adhikari was like an elder brother and the latter too showered a brotherly affection on him, said Hasirani Rath. “They killed him because Suvendu Babu defeated Mamata Banerjee in the election,” the griefstricken mother said.
A Mother’s Measured Demand
Even as she made serious allegations, her appeal for justice remained notably restrained.
“I want my son’s killers to be punished. But I do not want them hanged… they should be given life imprisonment,” she said.
In a case rapidly spiralling into a political flashpoint, her stance stood out, seeking accountability without calling for capital punishment.
BJP Terms It ‘Pre-Planned Murder’
Reacting strongly, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari described the incident as a “cold-blooded, pre-planned murder,” alleging a pattern of targeted violence against party workers.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also met the family and assured that justice would be pursued.
Investigation Underway
Police have launched an investigation into the killing, with CCTV footage indicating a coordinated attack carried out in under a minute by multiple assailants on motorcycles.
SHOCKING CCTV FTG of the place where #SuvenduAdhikari PA Chandranath Rath was shot dead on Wednesday night in #Bengal Madhyamgram
A white Scorpio is seen crossing the frame and it stops at the 7th sec of the video
5th second u see a biker on the frame, he waits for another to… pic.twitter.com/TjfigOOzO0
— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) May 7, 2026
As political tempers rise, the mother’s words continue to echo, not just as grief, but as an accusation that rhetoric may have crossed into reality.
