EAST MIDNAPORE STUDENT MARCH DESCENDS INTO VIOLENCE, LEAVING 40 AIDSO ACTIVISTS INJURED
October 12, 2026
At least 40 protesters, including 10 who were critically injured, were hurt after a march organised by the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) was allegedly attacked by suspected BJP and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) supporters at Bajkul in East Midnapore’s Bhupatinagar on Sunday morning. The incident triggered fresh political tensions in West Bengal amid demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Left-wing student organisation had organised the march in solidarity with the movement in Delhi against Kumar. The protesters were also campaigning against the closure of government-sponsored schools, demanding transparent teacher recruitment and opposing the semester examination system at the higher-secondary level.
The procession, involving more than 100 students according to AIDSO, was proceeding towards the venue of the first conference of the organisation’s East Midnapore South organisational district committee when the alleged assault occurred at around 9 am on the Bajkul–Bhagwanpur state highway.
AIDSO alleged that a group of youths surrounded the marchers and launched a violent attack. According to the organisation, some of the alleged attackers had covered their faces with masks or towels and carried knives and bamboo sticks. The protesters further claimed that the attackers forced students to chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” while assaulting them.
The incident caused panic among students and local residents. The injured were initially taken to Bhagwanpur Block Primary Health Centre, while those in critical condition were subsequently shifted to Tamralipto Medical College and Hospital in Tamluk for advanced treatment.
Among those injured were AIDSO state committee treasurer Surajit Samanta, state secretary and board member Pintu Das, state committee members Nirupama Bakshi and Dipankar Pal, and East Midnapore South organisational district convener Laxman Chandra Ghorai.
Ghorai alleged that individuals associated with the local BJP leadership were responsible for the assault and accused the police of arriving late, allowing the alleged violence and vandalism to continue. AIDSO also claimed that its local office was vandalised and set on fire and that the stage prepared for the conference at Sri Ramakrishna College of Education in Bajkul was damaged.
The organisation has submitted a written complaint to the East Midnapore superintendent of police and the district magistrate, demanding immediate action against those responsible for the alleged attack and the damage to its property.
BJP Bhagabanpur MLA and minister Santanu Pramanik denied that the BJP was involved in the incident. He alleged that objectionable statements made by participants in the procession had provoked a reaction among local youths. While acknowledging that trouble might have occurred, he said the police should investigate impartially and take appropriate action, maintaining that the BJP had no involvement in the violence.
The competing accounts have intensified tensions in the area, with AIDSO demanding accountability for the injuries sustained by its members and the alleged destruction of its property, while the BJP has rejected responsibility for the incident.
The attack has added to the political confrontation surrounding demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. With dozens of students injured and the organisation’s conference disrupted, the immediate focus remains on the condition of the injured, a police investigation into the allegations and the identification of those responsible for the violence.
