Confusion over Boro Ma’s locked room after TMC bypoll win
The Statesman | 14 July 2024
The locked room of Matua Thakurbari’s Boro Ma, Binapani Devi has been allegedly broken by the followers of Trinamul Congress Assembly candidate and daughter of Mamata Bala Thakur, Madhuparna Thakur.
Her supporters allegedly broke into Boro Ma’s room by breaking the lock. The Trinamul snatched the Bagda Assembly constituency from the BJP and Madhuparna, a member of Thakurbari, emerged victorious in the by-election. After her victory, the Matua supporters broke the lock on the closed room of Boro Ma Binapani Devi upon returning home. However, Madhuparna’s mother and Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur claimed that they got back their room based on a court order.
On 7 April, BJP MP from Bongaon and Madhuparna’s cousin brother Shantanu Thakur had locked this room in Thakurbari. It was in his presence that a section of Matua devotees locked the room. Subsequently, Mamata Bala took the matter to court.
Binapani Devi passed away in 2019. It is alleged that Shantanu stormed into the room where she used to stay, on 7 April with a group of people. It is claimed that he himself broke the lock with a crowbar and hammer, accompanied by several family members. During Binapani Devi’s lifetime, Thakurbari’s elder daughter-in-law Mamata Bala stayed in the adjacent room. Currently, she resides in Binapani Devi’s room. Mamata Bala claimed that after Shantanu “occupied” the room, she and her daughter had to stay outside all night. Later, some Matua devotees, close to Shantanu, also locked the main entrance.
To protest this incident, Mamata Bala’s daughter Madhuparna staged a sit-in and hunger strike against her cousin Shantanu. Shantanu Thakur however said he had not seen any court order regarding this and will fight against it.