Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court to hear cases of post-election violence against Trinamool Congress supporters. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Ten days after her defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (May 14, 2026) donned a lawyer’s robe and appeared before the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction during incidents of post-election violence.
It was the first time after the West Bengal assembly polls results that the Trinamool Congress president stepped out from her Kalighat residence.
Accompanied by senior Trinamool Congress leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kalyan Banerjee, both advocates, Ms Banerjee argued before a bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen in connection with a petition filed by Sirsanya Bandyopadhyay, son of Kalyan Banerjee.
The Trinamool president claimed that the situation has turned so bad that she cannot reach the police station to file a complaint and has to file the complaint online. Ms. Banerjee also alleged that attacks were organized on the state’s fish markets and meat shops.
Advocate Dhiraj Trivedi, appearing for the West Bengal police, said the list of alleged incidents of post-poll violence was “vague” and lacked details of victims or perpetrators.
Later in the day, the division bench directed the West Bengal Police to ensure that if “any citizen irrespective of his party affiliation is illegally thrown out of his shop/house/property etc. due to post-poll violence, he is provided safe return to his shop/house/property etc.”
The court also added that “whether this matter must be heard by the said five judges will be considered after the exchange of papers between the parties.”
While the Trinamool Congress welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention, the Trinamool Congress president faced protests and sloganeering from a section of lawyers. Ms Banerjee was surrounded by a group of lawyers who raised slogans of “chor chor (thief thief)”. The former chief minister’s security personnel had a tough time rescuing the Trinamool Congress president from the mob.
“If even a senior advocate and former chief minister can face such hostility and lack of security in the Supreme Court premises, one can only imagine the situation faced by ordinary Trinamool workers and supporters across the state,” Trinamool MP and senior advocate Kalayn Banerjee said. On 6 February 2026, Ms. Banerjee appeared before the Supreme Court in a special intensive review case.
The Trinamool Congress president also met party MPs at her headquarters. “Bengal is burning under the watch of @BJP4India. Violence, fear and chaos have engulfed the state in the last few days while those in power continue to turn a blind eye. We refuse to remain silent spectators. Every victim will get justice. Every conspiracy will be exposed. Every perpetrator will be held accountable. And until the truth prevails, our fight on social media will continue,” Trina said.
Meanwhile, the Bar Council of India on Thursday asked the Bar Council of West Bengal to provide a detailed report within 48 hours regarding the record and professional experience of the former chief minister.
West Bengal BJP unit president Samik Bhattacharya called Mamata Banerjee’s allegations “baseless” and claimed that while three BJP workers had died at the hands of Trinamool-backed gangsters since the poll results were announced, the rest of the deaths were “a result of the TMC struggle”.
“The fact remains that post-election violence is minimal in Bengal because the BJP government is now in power. We are committed to ridding the state of its culture of political violence and are taking strict action against them, irrespective of their party color or status,” Mr Bhattacharya said.
Our Honorary Chairman Smt @MamataOfficial He personally approached the Calcutta High Court today to argue in a case related to the widespread post-election violence that has erupted in Bengal @BJP4Bengal.
Once again she showed what really sets her apart –
NEVER leaves… pic.twitter.com/8OkszMxaYa
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 14, 2026
Published – May 14, 2026 12:04 PM IST
