Trinamool MLA Narendranath Chakraborty allegedly screamed at a senior forest official for organising a plantation drive on Independence Day in the presence of a minister, the West Burdwan district magistrate and others.

The incident came to light after a purported video clip of the incident surfaced on social media on Sunday, in which an infuriated Chakraborty, the Pandabeswar MLA, was seen lambasting the Durgapur divisional forest officer Anupam Khan for not taking his permission before selecting the venue for the afforestation drive.

“I am the MLA here. You have made a wrong decision. You didn’t bother to discuss with me before organising the programme. You will do whatever you like? You will not even ask me?” Chakraborty was heard yelling at Khan in the purported video even as district magistrate Ponnambalam S. and Durgapur subdivisional magistrate Sourav Chatterjee tried to pacify him.

The Durgapur forest department had organised an afforestation programme in the tribal-populated Bansgora village near Durgapur.

Sources said that Chakraborty was furious because of the choice of location of the plantation drive.

Over 12,000 tribal people live in a cluster of small villages in the area, who work as labourers in various gravel and stone quarries — many operating illegally — in the area.

Sources said stone and gravel quarries operating in the area are mostly unauthorised. A green tribunal had previously asked the local administration to shut them down and to initiate intensive afforestation in the area to check pollution.

“What will happen to their livelihoods if the forest department initiates a plantation drive on the land here? How will they survive?” the MLA asked the DFO in the video.

Chakraborty was also heard accusing the DFO of hatching a conspiracy against him to ensure his defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.

“Listen, you cannot defeat me in the elections. You are hatching a conspiracy against me to defeat me in the elections, but you cannot defeat me,” Chakraborty shouted at the DFO in the video.

“I was unaware of the programme until I called you up, after which a letter was sent to me,” he said.

State agriculture minister Pradip Mazumdar was seen trying to pacify MLA Chakraborty, also the Trinamool’s West Burdwan district president.

Chakraborty apologised after the video clip surfaced on social media, presumably due to pressure from the Trinamool leadership.

“I am sincerely sorry and apologise if anyone was hurt because of my behavior,” he said in a video message.

“I apologise because of my behaviour, if anyone was hurt. But my fight is for the livelihood of the poor tribal people of the area,” the MLA added.

Contacted, DFO Khan and other officials stayed tight-lipped. However, some forest officials said they organise an afforestation drive near industrial town Durgapur every year to check pollution.

Chakraborty is no stranger to controversy. Close to Trinamool’s Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal, the MLA was arrested with a firearm at Calcutta airport a few
years ago.

The MLA is also known to have a short fuse.

In a video clip widely circulated in 2021, Chakraborty was seen threatening BJP workers with social ostracisation and violence.