Widespread communal violence broke out across West Bengal just hours before Suvendu Adhikari was to be sworn in as the state’s first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister. The epicenter of the unrest was a mosque in Cooch Behar, known locally as the ‘Chhoto Mosque,’ where alleged BJP-backed assailants vandalized the premises and desecrated copies of the Quran. Local worshippers were seen in tears amid the destruction, describing the attack as unimaginable.

Witnesses said that after election results were announced, groups of men wearing saffron powder gathered outside the mosque, shouting provocative slogans before storming inside. Reports of attacks on Muslim-owned shops and homes have also emerged from several districts, including Cooch Behar and Birbhum. Allegations have surfaced that Adhikari’s divisive rhetoric during the campaign emboldened perpetrators.

Meanwhile, incidents of arson at Trinamool Congress offices in Kolkata and threats to close meat and biryani shops have raised concerns about growing intolerance. Observers fear that West Bengal’s communal harmony may face a severe crisis if the violence continues unchecked.