Union minister Shantanu Thakur and his aunt and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Mamata Bala Thakur allegedly tried to take control of the house of the late Matua community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as Boro Maa who died at 100 in 2019, on Sunday evening in West Bengal’s Thakurnagar.

The TMC shared a video of Shantanu Thakur and his supporters purportedly trying to break the lock of the house of Boro Maa, his grandmother, with a hammer.

Mamata Bala Thakur, who resides in the house, called the attempt unprecedented. “I have never witnessed such things. Being a Union minister and BJP MP [member of Parliament], he along with his family members and supporters broke open the gate with hammers and entered Boro Maa’s room wearing shoes. I am Rajya Sabha MP. If BJP can do this to me, what would happen to the common people?” Mamata Bala Thakur said before lodging a police complaint.

Shantanu Thakur asked to whom the house of Boro Maa belongs. “What is my relationship with…Boro Maa? I am her grandson. Even I have the right to stay in her house. No law on the earth can take away this right from me. I requested her [Mamata Bala Thakur] 10-15 times to open the gates. But if someone gives shelter to hooligans in this house, I need to check that.”

BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar questioned which law says Mamata Bala Thakur has the right and Shantanu Thakur does not over the house. “There are two branches of the family and there may be a family feud. Mamata Bala Thakur is forcibly trying to establish her rights.”

TMC leader Arup Chakraborty maintained Shantanu Thakur and his men broke the gates of the house, where the Matua community prays. “He is now trying to brand it as a family feud. This is an insult to the entire Matua community and no apology is enough. Shantanu Thakur will have to pay the price in the [Bongaon] Lok Sabha election.”

In 2019, the BJP wrested the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat by fielding Shantanu Thakur against the then-TMC MP Mamata Bala Thakur.

The Matua community is concentrated in parts of 24 North Parganas, Nadia, Cooch Behar, South Dinajpur, Burdwan districts, etc. In 2019, the BJP also won the other Matua-majority Lok Sabha seat—Ranaghat.

The Matua community is a part of the Namasudra community. Scheduled castes (SC) accounted for 21.4 million of Bengal’s population of at 91.3 million as per the 2011 Census. Around 60 sub-castes come under the SC category. Of these, the three major are the Rajbanshi, who accounted for 18.4% of the total SC population in 2011, the Namasudra (17.4 %), and the Bagdi (14.9%).