Five Arrested After Attack on Abhishek Banerjee in Bengal
TMC Alleges BJP Plot to Kill Leader; BJP Says Public Anger Behind Incident
- Five arrested for allegedly attacking TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur
- Police identify accused through video footage collected from the area
- Banerjee claims BJP workers attempted to kill him during visit to violence-hit region
- BJP denies involvement, says incident reflects public anger against TMC
GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 31st May: Five people have been arrested for allegedly attacking Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, police said on Sunday.
According to a senior police officer, the arrests were made during overnight raids based on video footage collected from the area. The accused are expected to be produced before a court in Baruipur.
Police said a case has been registered suo motu as neither Banerjee nor the Trinamool Congress had filed a formal complaint till Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday when Banerjee visited Sonarpur to meet victims of alleged post-poll violence. During the visit, a large crowd allegedly hurled stones, eggs and abuses at the TMC leader. Videos circulating on social media showed Banerjee wearing a cricket helmet as aides escorted him through the hostile crowd.
Eyewitnesses said unidentified persons scuffled with the MP, raised slogans of “thief, thief” and attempted to physically assault him. Security personnel intervened as the situation rapidly escalated, preventing further harm.
Following the attack, Banerjee alleged that BJP activists were behind the incident and claimed there was an attempt on his life.
The TMC leader was later taken to a private hospital in Kolkata for medical examination and was discharged after receiving primary treatment.
Reacting strongly to the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of encouraging political violence.
“RULERS BECAME KILLERS — shame on you BJP!” she posted on X.
Senior TMC leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Derek O’Brien, visited the hospital to inquire about Banerjee’s condition.
The BJP, however, distanced itself from the incident. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya condemned the attack but denied any role of his party.
“Such incidents are not desirable in a healthy and normal society. The BJP is not involved in such activities. But what happened could be the outcome of the anger of locals who were tortured over the years,” Bhattacharya said.
The attack has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP trading accusations as police continue their investigation into the incident.
