BJP will bring ‘UP-style encounters’ in Bengal, police will change: Dilip Ghosh
Telegraph | 26 March 2026
Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Thursday claimed that if his party comes to power in poll-bound West Bengal, police would undergo a complete transformation and start conducting "Uttar Pradesh-style encounters" against criminals.
Addressing an election campaign in his old turf of Kharagpur, the former BJP state president alleged that police in West Bengal currently function at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress and fail to act against criminals and "mafias".
"After May 4, everything will change. The police you see today sitting and having tea with mafias and acting as 'chamchas' of corrupt leaders will change their character. The same police will conduct encounters in the style of Uttar Pradesh and put criminals behind bars," Ghosh said.
His remarks, invoking the controversial police "encounter" model often associated with the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, immediately triggered a political storm, with the ruling TMC accusing the saffron party of openly endorsing extra-judicial violence.
Unfazed by the criticism, Ghosh, known for his blunt and combative political style, doubled down on his attack against the ruling party, claiming that he had long fought "goons and mafias" in Kharagpur and would continue to do so.
"I have fought many battles against goons and mafias in Kharagpur, and I will fight again. But perhaps that will not be necessary this time. Once the BJP comes to power, everyone involved in crime will be caught and sent to jail," he said.
Ghosh, who represented Kharagpur Sadar in the assembly from 2016 to 2019, has again been fielded by the BJP from the constituency, a seat that once served as one of the party's early political footholds in West Bengal when it began expanding beyond its traditional pockets.
Seeking to project himself as a strong leader with grassroots support, Ghosh said his politics in the industrial town had always been about confronting adversaries head-on.
"Cases were filed against us alleging we threatened people with weapons. But if someone gets scared, Ghosh will obviously scare him. Why should you be afraid? If you have courage, come face-to-face. If they can loot, steal and intimidate voters with the help of police, why can't we challenge them?" he said.
"I have always done politics by surprising my opponents. The people of Kharagpur voted for me because of that, and they will vote for me again," he added.
Earlier in the day, while attending a tea gathering with supporters, Ghosh also accused the state administration of showing bias in favour of the ruling party during the election campaign.
He alleged that police were reluctant to remove cutouts of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee despite complaints and said the BJP had approached the Election Commission on the issue.
"Police are even scared of removing cutouts of the chief minister. We have complained to the Election Commission. The EC must ensure that the election is conducted without bias," he said.
Ghosh's remarks come at a time when the BJP has been sharpening its law-and-order pitch in West Bengal ahead of the assembly polls, accusing the ruling TMC of patronising criminal networks, while the TMC counters by accusing the BJP of trying to import what it calls the "encounter raj" model from other states.
"Encounter culture works in Uttar Pradesh, not in Bengal. EC must take note of his speech," Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said.