Swapan Dasgupta Says Extortion Continues in Bengal, Calls for Measures to Restore Public Trust

MP, Nov 15, 2026, Kolkata: Extortion allegations and repeated breaches of party discipline are threatening to embarrass the BJP in Bengal, with the state leadership preparing to suspend several leaders and office-bearers despite repeated warnings.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has urged people to lodge FIRs against those defaming the party. Senior leader and state Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta admitted on Saturday that extortion continues despite the change of guard, warning that public faith would not return until the practice stops.

Dasgupta on Saturday admitted that extortion continued in Bengal, saying, “public faith would not return until the practice stopped”. He said the “culture needed to be dismantled through political and economic measures”.

Admitting that his efforts to curb extortion in his Rashbehari constituency had not achieved complete success, he said it had become a habit, with people treating it as the “new normal”.

Sources said show-cause notices have been issued to 22 leaders, including mandal and booth presidents from various districts and a district president, over alleged anti-party activities and forcibly occupying rival party offices against the leadership's instructions.

Bhattacharya, issuing a stern warning on Friday, said: “Some mandal presidents seem to think that they are the Police Minister. Similarly, in certain districts, a few police officers appear to think that they are mandal presidents. Neither of these situations will be tolerated.”

He added: “The people voted us against those who looted the state. The day we won, the Prime Minister told me that we would never resort to revenge or divisive politics. We have not resorted to revenge politics. We have sent across the message of Gautam Buddha.”

Meanwhile, a clash broke out between two factions within the BJP in front of senior BJP leaders Sukanta Majumdar and Ritesh Tiwari when they went to Cossipore Ghat to supervise arrangements for Chhath Puja.