Black flags dropped, called ‘thief’: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee claims BJP supporters assaulted him outside police station | Today’s news
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee claimed to have suffered a head injury after he was attacked by a mob outside a police station in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Sunday. He went there to submit a memorandum protesting the arrest of party workers after the Assembly elections.
Tension flared outside the Chanditala police station when a group of protesters greeted Kalyan Banerjee, MP from Sreerampore in Hooghly district, with black flags and chanted “thieving” slogans against him and other members of the TMC delegation, according to PTI.
He was later seen pressing a cloth to the back of his head. Kalyan Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters were behind the incident.
“All this happened in front of the police. I got hit in the head and I’m bleeding,” he said.
The Lok Sabha MP staged a sit-in protest and accused the police of not taking adequate action. It also claimed that the TMC would continue to demonstrate against what it described as “BJP-backed attacks”.
Read also | Abhishek Banerjee summoned by Bengal CID over alleged ‘forged signatures’
In order not to worsen the situation, there was a strong deployment of police officers and central security forces in the area.
The BJP rejected the allegations, saying the protests reflected growing public resentment against TMC leaders across West Bengal.
Abhishek Banerjee says attack on him is ‘political violence and state-sponsored terrorism’
The development comes a day after TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly manhandled by locals during his visit to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district to meet families affected by the post-election violence.
Read also | ‘Acting with a motive’: Kalyan Banerjee reacts to Kakoli Ghosh’s allegations
Abhishek on Sunday said the attack on him in Sonarpur was “political violence and state-sponsored terrorism” by the BJP. Thanking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his support, he said, “Thank you, Rahul ji, for your concern and continued support. We are united and determined in our struggle to protect the soul of India, defend its democratic institutions and uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution.”
Banerjee further alleged that political opponents were singled out and targeted for interrogation by the ruling party. He claimed that those who supported the government were praised and regarded as patriots, while critics faced harassment and attempts to silence them.
Read also | West Bengal polls: Security down at Mamata residences, Abhishek Banerjee
He also stated that he would rather tolerate intimidation in the fight to protect democratic values than compromise his principles for personal convenience. Emphasizing that political power is temporary but the people’s mandate is permanent, Banerjee said he was loyal to the people and not to those in power.
Rahul Gandhi calls attack on Abhishek Banerjee ‘absolutely reprehensible’
Banerjee’s comments follow Gandhi’s post on X condemning the attack.
“The attack on MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur is absolutely reprehensible. The attack on a Member of Parliament is not just an attack on one individual – it is an attack on the very people who elected him and on the democracy that is our common heritage,” Gandhi wrote on X.
“This is the ugly face of BJP’s revenge politics. Political differences can never justify violence,” he added.
The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha also asked the government to take action, saying, “The Central Government and the West Bengal Government – both must take immediate action against the perpetrators and ensure that no public official, irrespective of their party, ever has to fear for their safety.”
“Abhishek, my thoughts are with you and your family. I wish you a speedy recovery,” Gandhi said.
