Kolkata : In April, while campaigning ahead of the second phase of polling in Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a striking promise. “On May 4, as soon as a BJP government is formed, the people of Bengal will be freed from the ‘Bhaipo (nephew) tax’,” he said. For years, the term evoked a sense of fear and frustration among truck drivers and transporters entering Bengal from neighbouring states.
In the run-up to the polls, the BJP repeatedly accused Abhishek of being involved with extortion syndicates in Bengal. The term ‘tolabaj’ (extortionist) was used frequently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to target the “pisi-bhaipo” duo (Mamata and Abhishek). The BJP also alleged that nephew Abhishek had become the “single window” in Bengal, claiming that no work moved forward in the state without his approval or influence.
Within days of taking charge, the BJP government has cracked the whip on extortion gangs and the so-called ‘Bhaipo tax’. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed district magistrates to dismantle all illegal collection points along highways and prevent their return. The development comes at a time when the BJP government has tightened the noose around Abhishek, sending notices to 17 properties linked to the Lok Sabha MP over unauthorised construction. The party also released a list of 43 properties in Kolkata allegedly linked to Abhishek.
Illegal checkpoints constructed with bamboo barricades mushroomed in several areas along the highways, especially along the Jharkhand-Assam-Bengal route. Every checkpoint was managed by syndicate strongmen and their henchmen, who were armed with sticks. It was a nightmare for truck drivers as they had to shell out money out of their pockets. Refusing to pay was not an option. Bengal, being a key logistics hub that connects eastern India, the Northeast, and Bangladesh, sees around 50,000 trucks pass through the state daily.
The most notorious were the highways that passed through districts such as Paschim Bardhaman and Purulia. However, over the past week, the situation has now changed – bamboo barriers and illegal nakas dotting the highways have vanished. The syndicate gangs seem to have pulled off Houdini’s Act. Key crossings along NH-2 and adjoining routes are now moving freely. Extortion checkpoints are nowhere to be seen.
Read Also : PM Narendra Modi Calls Crucial Council Meeting Today, Know What’s On Agenda