Rising political temperatures of poll-bound Bengal soured the wedding feast of a Trinamul leader’s daughter in Birbhum’s Dubrajpur on Monday, with BJP leaders and workers allegedly forcing villagers to boycott the event.

Niranjan Ghosh, a Trinamul booth president in Paduma village of Dubrajpur, had invited over 500 villagers for his daughter’s marriage on Monday. To manage the large number of invitees, he invited one lot to lunch and the other to dinner. By the end of the day, a shocked Ghosh realised that many villagers did not turn up and a lot of cooked food had to be thrown away.

“I learnt that BJP leaders and workers owing allegiance to the saffron party’s state committee member Ramkrishna Roy threatened people to boycott them socially if they attended my daughter’s wedding. Over 200 invitees did not respond to my invitation after the threat because the BJP controls the panchayat. A lot of food was wasted,” said Ghosh.

Paduma village is part of the Dubrajpur Assembly seat where the BJP led by over 14,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

A resident of Paduma said “Sholo Ana”, an unofficial assembly of villagers, decides on social and cultural events in the village. Sources said though an independent body it is often controlled by the political party that dominates the region. The BJP, which replaced the Trinamul as the main force after the panchayat polls, took control of Sholo Ana as well.

A villager, fearing to be named for fear of social reprisal, said he was Niranjan’s relative but could not attend the marriage. “They (BJP workers) threatened me and my family with social boycott if I attended the event. I did not take the risk (of defying them) as the BJP is the main force in the village,” said a villager.

Ghanashyam Ghosh, a CPM’s Dubrajpur area committee member, was among those asked not to stay away. But Ghosh did not cower.

“BJP workers did threaten me and ask not to attend the marriage ceremony of Niranjan’s daughter. I clearly told them we are against ostracism. Despite warnings, I responded to Niranjan’s invitation,” said Ghanashyam.

“There are political differences with Niranjan but that does not interfere with our social ties. This ostracism is shameful. Villagers are so scared that they refuse to talk about it,” he added.

Niranjan said social boycott was enforced immediately. Seven villagers who had come to his home for lunch on Monday were told not to come for dinner at another wedding in the village. “As they had lunch at my place, their dinner host cancelled their invitation. It hurt me,” Niranjan said.

Refuting allegations of threats and ostracism, BJP leaders said the boycott was “spontaneous”. “Villagers were angry with Niranjan as he earlier filed fake cases against a few BJP workers. Most villagers decided to boycott the event. We did not threaten anyone,” said Ramkrishna Roy of the BJP.

Social scientists criticised the alleged ostracism. “Dr BR Ambedkar felt villages were cesspools of cruelty and caste prejudice. (But) in Bengal, the culture (of ostracism) is strongly condemned. It is unfortunate when such a call comes from a political party that rules a country or state,” said sociologist Surajit Mukhopadhyay.

Anubrata Mondal, Trinamul’s Birbhum president, said: “This is not the culture of Bengal. The BJP is using its politics of hate even though they are not in power.”