3 min readAug 12, 2026 02:42 PM IST
First published on: Aug 12, 2026 at 02:42 PM IST
NCPI MP Jagadish Chandra Basunia and his wife, TMC MLA Sangeeta Roy, who returned to their house in Sitai in Cooch Behar district at midnight, after nearly three months, had to leave the area shortly after, as a group of people gathered outside their residence and started raising slogans. The couple left the area under tight security, with the MP saying he did not want his presence to disturb peace.
Roy, the lone TMC MLA from Coch Behar, has reportedly not been seen in her constituency since the assembly poll results were announced on May 4. Basunia, who won the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat on a TMC ticket in 2024, had also been in Delhi for much of the period.
After the party’s poll debacle, Basunia, along with 19 other TMC MPs, joined NCPI and aligned with the BJP-led NDA. Roy also joined the rebel TMC camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
Around midnight on Monday, the couple returned to their residence in the Sitai market area under police protection. However, as soon as the news spread, the area became tense. Without carrying any party flags, a section of local residents surrounded the couple’s house and began raising slogans. Upon receiving the news, police from Sitai police station reached the spot. However, as the number of police personnel increased, the crowd of protesters also grew.
Amid fears of a deterioration in the situation, Jagadish and Sangeeta left their house under police protection around 2 am and set off for Cooch Behar town.
Speaking on the phone about the matter, Basunia said, “I had gone home at night to collect some urgently needed documents and to assess the current situation in the area. But a group of people arrived at night and began protesting. If I had stayed there, it could have led to political tension. To maintain peace and order in Sitai and avoid any trouble, I left the area that night itself.”
Reacting to the incident, BJP district president Abhijit Barman said, “We do not have information about anyone’s personal movements. Our party workers have been clearly instructed to refrain from such protests. However, if angry local people do something, that is beyond our control.”
NCPI MP Jagadish Chandra Basunia and TMC MLA Sangeeta Roy faced a protest outside their Sitai residence. (Photo:Facebook/@sangitaroyaitc) 
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