West Bengal Panchayat Minister Dilip Ghosh on Sunday (August 23, 2026) asserted that the BJP government has given a free hand to the police to take action against gangsters in the State.

Speaking at a function, the Kharagpur MLA said “threat culture” has now become a thing of the past in West Bengal.

“I have asked the police to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards criminal elements. No mafia will be allowed to step foot on the soil of Kharagpur,” he asserted.

“Forget about what happened during the TMC rule in West Bengal. The BJP government has given a free hand to the police to take action against mafia and gangsters,” the senior BJP leader said.

If the crime is grave and the situation warrants, "encounter by the police will be the last resort", Mr. Ghosh added.