Bengal CM Suvendu holds ‘Janata Darbar’, people highlight issues

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday held his weekly ‘Janata darbar’, with job seekers, professionals and ordinary citizens turning up in large numbers to place their grievances directly before him. Among them was the mother of a college student from Nadia district’s Krishnanagar, who alleged that her daughter was raped and murdered, and her body was burnt with acid in October 2024. She also claimed that the police had tried to pass it off as a suicide case, and said the family could register an FIR only after legal intervention, but the investigation made “little progress”. The woman recalled that Adhikari, then the Leader of the Opposition, had visited their residence after the incident and assured her family members of support. Now, with Adhikari as chief minister, the deceased’s mother said she hoped that justice would finally be delivered. The woman urged Adhikari to ensure a fresh probe. Several other people with complaints ranging from land grabbing to denial of government service benefits were waiting to meet Adhikari’s ‘Janata Darbar’. Many had travelled from districts and far-flung corners of the state seeking a first-hand audience. The people carrying petitions and memoranda waited patiently for an opportunity to interact with the chief minister, who launched the initiative after assuming office on May 9 as part of a direct public outreach exercise. The first ‘Janata darbar’ was held on May 18. Similar public hearing models have often featured in BJP-ruled states and are projected by the party as instruments of accessibility and quicker grievance redressal.