Tensions flared in Sitai late Monday night after a group of local residents staged a spontaneous protest outside the Cooch Behar residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Sangeeta Roy and her husband, Cooch Behar MP Jagdish Chandra Basuniya. The couple eventually left the area around 2 am on Tuesday under heavy police security.

According to police, Roy and Basuniya arrived at their residence in Sitai Bazar around midnight with police protection. However, word of their arrival quickly spread, prompting a group of local residents to gather outside the house.

The protesters were reportedly not carrying any political party flags but raised slogans and expressed their dissatisfaction with the couple. As the gathering grew, tensions began to rise.

Police deployed as situation escalates

Personnel from Sitai Police Station rushed to the location after the protest began. However, the increasing police presence was accompanied by a growing crowd of protesters.

Concerned that the situation could escalate further and potentially lead to a law-and-order problem, the couple decided to leave the area. They were escorted by police towards Cooch Behar town in the early hours of Tuesday.

Speaking over the phone, Basuniya said the visit was primarily aimed at collecting urgent documents and assessing the situation on the ground.

“A group of people suddenly gathered and began protesting. Staying there could have triggered unnecessary political tension. I chose to leave immediately to maintain law and order,” he said.

Political backdrop in Cooch Behar

The incident comes amid changing political dynamics in Cooch Behar following the Assembly election results declared on May 4.

The ruling TMC reportedly secured victory only in the Sitai constituency. Sangeeta Roy had not returned to the area since her electoral victory, citing her son’s medical treatment in Kolkata.

Basuniya, who later joined the NCPI after winning the Lok Sabha election, has largely been based in Delhi.

Apart from attending a single administrative meeting after the elections, the couple had remained largely absent from public life in Sitai and the wider district.

The prolonged absence, according to local political observers, has contributed to growing dissatisfaction among sections of residents.

BJP distances itself from protest

BJP leaders in the district distanced the party from the incident, saying the protest was not organised by the party.

“We do not monitor personal movements. Our workers have clear instructions not to engage in such demonstrations. However, we cannot control spontaneous reactions from sections of the public,” a BJP leader in the district said.

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