What Happened When a Trinamool Leader's Nephew Kicked a Referee During a Football Match?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Raja Khan was involved in a serious incident during a football match.
- The referee, Lakshman Mandi, annulled a goal leading to the confrontation.
- This incident has sparked political tensions between the BJP and Congress.
- The Trinamool Congress condemned the actions but distanced itself from Raja Khan's behavior.
Kolkata, Aug 16 (NationPress) A video has gained significant attention, depicting the nephew of the Midnapore civic body chairman engaging in an outburst during a football match, where he kicked the referee in the abdomen.
The individual involved has been named as Raja Khan, who is related to Soumen Khan, the chairman of the Midnapore Municipality located in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Police apprehended Raja Khan just hours after the incident unfolded.
The event transpired during a junior football match at a local field in Midnapore town, where one of the teams was backed by the accused.
The situation escalated when the referee, Lakshman Mandi, a school teacher and member of the Kharagpur Subdivision Referee Association, annulled a goal in favor of the team supported by Raja Khan. This led to his sudden intrusion onto the field, resulting in a heated confrontation with the referee, culminating in him kicking the referee in the stomach.
During this incident, his uncle, Soumen Khan, was present as a guest.
A political clash has erupted between the BJP and Congress in response to this incident.
The opposition leader in the West Bengal assembly commented that this reflects the true nature of the Trinamool Congress.
“The actual culture of Trinamool is to launch disgraceful attacks on referees, whether it is Mamata Banerjee confronting the Election Commission of India, which acts as a referee in elections, or this trivial Trinamool member, Raja Khan, on the pitch of a local football tournament,” his statement asserted.
In contrast, the Trinamool Congress denounced the incident.
“This situation is quite regrettable. However, why should the Trinamool Congress bear the blame for the misconduct of a relative of a local party leader? We will not entertain grandstanding from BJP leaders regarding this matter,” stated Arup Chakraborty, a spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress in the state.