KOLKATA/WEST MIDNAPORE: A BJP youth wing neta was arrested near Odisha‘s Jaleswar while attempting to flee after stealing about 100 grams of gold from a jewellery shop, triggering a political war of words. According to sources, the arrested Somnath Sahoo is a resident of Midnapore’s Habibpur area.The incident took place around 1.30pm on Thursday, when Sahoo stole ornaments from the Jaleswar shop and escaped in his SUV. A dramatic chase ensued as shop staffers and locals pursued Sahoo, ending with the latter’s SUV crashing into a divider about 8km from Jaleswar, near Lakshannath Road area. Locals handed Sahoo over to the police. He was arrested on Thursday night.At a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday, Trinamool showed Sahoo’s photos with BJP netas and claimed he was BYJM’s district secretary. Making an indirect reference to how BJP had attacked TMC in the south Kolkata campus rape case using photos of the primary accused with TMC netas, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “BJYM neta Somnath Sahoo… was caught stealing in Odisha and it is all on CCTV. There is a photo of him with Sukanta Majumdar. So, did Sukanta Majumdar send him to carry out the theft? Was there some setting or sharing involved? BJP must clarify this. If these people can show Trinamool photos and make tall claims, why not clarify their own stance after being photographed with a dacoit?”“There is a photo of Sahoo with BJP MLA Hiraan Chatterjee as well. Police of a BJP-governed state arrested Sahoo. Hiraan and Sukanta must answer why they were photographed with him,” Ghosh said and added that Sahoo’s wife was a BJP candidate in Midnapore municipality elections.Countering Ghosh, Chatterjee said: “The photo was clicked ahead of the 2021 election. I was on the streets campaigning and thousands of people had come to see me, and took photos. It’s not possible for me to know whether those taking pictures are thieves or robbers.”“The arrest is laudable. BJP is in office in Odisha, but the state’s police did not see political colour and I congratulate them for this,” he added.BYJM president Indranil Khan, however, said that Sahoo was not an active member. “He didn’t even apply for membership during our drive. He might have attended a few programmes and clicked some selfies but the party has no link with him now,” said Khan.
