Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee is set to inform Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about the mob attack on him in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district and will also pursue legal action in connection with the incident, according to party sources cited by news agency ANI.
The development follows an attack on Banerjee with bricks, stones, and eggs while he was visiting families affected by post-poll violence in Sonarpur. The TMC national general secretary sustained injuries near his eye and accused the BJP of orchestrating the assault, alleging an attempt on his life and claiming that the police failed to provide adequate security.
Party sources indicated that Banerjee will formally apprise Speaker Om Birla of the incident and seek legal recourse over the attack. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case and were produced before a court in Baruipur on Monday. The accused have been identified as Akash Gayen, Kajal Das, Debashish Dutta, Nirmalya Sengupta, and Tapan Maiti.
The incident has sparked a major political controversy in West Bengal, with the TMC alleging a pattern of attacks against its leaders. On Sunday, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also claimed he was attacked near Chanditala Police Station in Hooghly district while on his way to submit a deputation regarding post-poll violence. Kalyan Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters hit him on the head, causing injuries. He later staged a protest outside the police station and described the attack as an 'attempt to murder' him. The BJP denied the allegations and claimed that local residents were expressing anger against TMC leaders.
Reacting to the attack, Abhishek Banerjee described the incident as 'political violence and state-sponsored terrorism' by the BJP. Thanking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for expressing concern, he said opposition parties must remain united in defending democratic institutions and constitutional values. "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," Banerjee said in a post on X.
The BJP condemned the violence but maintained that the incidents reflected public anger against the TMC. West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh said no one had the right to take the law into their own hands, while claiming that resentment against the TMC had been building among the public for years.
