KOLKATA: The Union Home Ministry has now accorded West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's father and brother with 'Y+' central security cover.
Suvendu Adhikari's father Sisir Kumar Adhikari and brother Dibyendu Adhikari have been provided the cover by the ministry on the basis of a threat perception report prepared by central security agencies, according to a report by PTI.
This means they will be protected by a personal security officer each and 11 armed policemen, including commandos.
Notably, Sisir Kumar Adhikari is a member of Parliament (MP) from the Kanthi Lok Sabha seat and Dibyendu Adhikari is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Tamluk in the state.
Suvendu Adhikari, who till recently was a cabinet minister in Mamata Banerjee's government, joined the BJP in December 2020 and has now been elected Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.
The Union Home Ministry had approved the cover after taking into cognizance a report prepared by central security agencies and the inputs of a high-level team of officers that visited the state in the aftermath of the post-poll violence there.
On the other hand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had lost the Assembly elections from Nandigram against her one-time aide-turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, is likely to contest the bypoll from Bhowanipur, the south Kolkata constituency she had represented twice since 2011.
Speaker Banerjee said in a statement, "Chattopadhyay has resigned on his own will and he has not been forced to do so. So, I accept the resignation."
However, Chattopadhyay will continue as the state Agriculture Minister and is likely to contest bypolls from Khardaha in the North 24 Parganas district.
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