West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday, 7 November 2026, declared that the state police had been given a full free hand to act against crimes targeting women and narcotics smuggling, with a categorical warning that political interference in either matter would not be tolerated. The announcement came as Adhikari, who also holds the state's police portfolio, addressed newly recruited sub-inspectors at Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters in central Kolkata.

The Core Directive

'I have given the police a free hand in tackling two issues. The first is crime against women and the second is narcotics smuggling. I will not tolerate any kind of political interference in these two issues,' Adhikari said at the event. The statement signals a deliberate shift in tone from the previous administration and places both issues beyond the reach of partisan pressure, at least in stated intent.

Adhikari also issued a sharp warning against violence targeting law enforcement. 'As the police minister of the state, I will not tolerate any incident of attack on a cop or ransacking of any police station or police outpost. Those attacking police personnel will have to spend years behind bars,' he said. He added that those who vandalise police establishments would be made to pay for the damage — along with interest.

Recruitment and Modernisation Push

The occasion itself underscored the government's stated priority: the distribution of appointment letters to freshly recruited police sub-inspectors. Adhikari said the current administration had already brought 11,000 personnel into the state police force, claiming that recruitment had been neglected under the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

He acknowledged, however, that 46,000 posts remain vacant and committed to filling them in phases. The upcoming recruitment drive will include 6,345 women police personnel and 4,000 constables, with the next round of appointments expected in December–January.

Modernisation and Inter-Agency Coordination

On capacity-building, Adhikari said the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding with a police training centre in Assam to upgrade training quality. Steps are also being taken to strengthen coordination between the state police and Central forces, he added.

Highlighting the operational complexity of policing West Bengal, Adhikari noted the state's sheer scale: 'There are 11 crore people in West Bengal. On one side are mountains, on the other side are jungles, and on the other are several isolated islands. The police's responsibility is to ensure that public life remains normal.' He also promised improved financial security for the force, saying officers had historically lacked adequate welfare provisions.

Political Context

Adhikari's remarks carry pointed political weight. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, which displaced the TMC, has repeatedly attacked its predecessor over law-and-order failures, including allegations of political protection for criminals. By publicly ruling out interference in crimes against women and drug cases, Adhikari is positioning the administration as a corrective to what it describes as years of partisan policing. Critics, however, will watch closely whether the operational freedom granted to the police translates into verifiable outcomes on the ground.

With fresh recruitment rounds planned for the coming months and a modernisation agenda publicly laid out, Bengal's new police leadership faces the test of converting political declarations into measurable reductions in crime.