Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee plans to inform Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about a mob attack he experienced in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. He will also pursue legal action related to the incident, as reported by news agency ANI.
This development follows an attack on Banerjee, who was assaulted with bricks, stones, and eggs while visiting families affected by post-poll violence in Sonarpur. The TMC national general secretary sustained injuries near his eye and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating the assault, claiming it was an attempt on his life made possible by insufficient police protection.
According to party sources, Banerjee intends to formally update Speaker Om Birla about the attack and seek legal recourse. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident and were presented before a court in Baruipur. The accused have been identified as Akash Gayen, Kajal Das, Debashish Dutta, Nirmalya Sengupta, and Tapan Maiti.
The incident has caused a significant political stir in West Bengal, with the TMC alleging a pattern of violence targeted at its leaders. On the previous day, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee claimed he was also attacked near the Chanditala Police Station in Hooghly district while attempting to submit a deputation about post-poll violence. Kalyan Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters struck him on the head during that encounter, leading to injuries. He subsequently staged a protest outside the police station, characterizing the attack as an “attempt to murder.” The BJP has denied these allegations, asserting that local residents were expressing their frustrations with TMC leadership.
Reacting to the attack on him, Abhishek Banerjee described the incident as “political violence and state-sponsored terrorism” orchestrated by the BJP. In a message on X, he expressed gratitude to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his concern, noting the importance of opposition parties banding together to safeguard democratic institutions and constitutional values. He stated, “Thank you, Rahul ji, for your concern and constant support. We stand united and resolute in our fight to protect the soul of India, defend its democratic institutions, and uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution.”
While the BJP condemned the violence, they attributed the incidents to growing public anger toward the TMC. West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh remarked that no one is justified in taking the law into their own hands, yet he noted that resentment against the TMC has been mounting among the public for years.
