Trinamool Congress on the defensive over ‘involvement’ in kangaroo courts

The ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition Bhartiya Janta Party leaders in West Bengal are engaged in a war of words over kangaroo courts, which the BJP alleges are run by the TMC. It became an issue after multiple videos and accusations of abuse and harassment at kangaroo courts by ruling party leaders surfaced last year.

Minister for North Bengal Development Udayan Guha addressed a public meeting in Dinhata, Cooch Behar district, and asked TMC party workers not to take part in kangaroo courts.

“You need to stop shalishi sabhas (kangaroo courts). Many of our leaders names have been ruined because of these kangaroo courts. Leaders are not lawmakers or judges. Do not collect money from the public during such sessions. Come meet me if there is a problem,” Mr. Guha said while addressing a session with local party workers. 

Mr. Guha said that he had never collected money in an attempt to resolve any public issue.

BJP district general secretary for Cooch Behar, Biraj Bose, reacted to Mr. Guha’s statement and said that the speech was only damage control to clear their names before the 2026 State Legislative Assembly elections.

Damage control

“People will not take this lightly. He suspects that the things he has done in the past will ruin his prospects in the upcoming elections; that is why he is giving such instructions to party workers. But everyone knows that the kangaroo courts were working under Mr. Guha’s instructions,” Mr. Bose said. 

Multiple videos of street justice at kangaroo courts had come to light from various parts of North Bengal in 2024. Multiple TMC leaders were caught on video beating people during the kangaroo court sessions, which drew heavy criticism from opposition leaders.

At the end of June last year, a video from Chopra in the Islampur area of Uttar Dinajpur district sent shockwaves across the State. A man identified as Tajmul Islam (popularly known as JCB), a close aide of Chopra TMC MLA Hamidur Rahaman, was seen beating a woman and a man with a stick in full public view. He was later arrested. 

Multiple other such videos also surfaced, including one in which Jayanta Singh of Kamarhati, a close associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, was seen assaulting a woman. Multiple other accusations of assault against Mr. Singh also came to light. He was arrested by the Barrackpore Police after much uproar.