Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is finally set to emerge from his Kalighat residence this Saturday, marking his first public appearance in 26 days following the party's crushing defeat in the assembly elections. The move is aimed at reconnecting with the party's grassroots and boosting the morale of distressed cadres.
Planned Visits to Slain Workers' Families
Banerjee plans to visit the families of two allegedly targeted party workers in Sonarpur South and Beleghata. He will first travel to Sonarpur South in South 24 Parganas to meet the family of slain TMC worker Sanju Karmakar. Subsequently, he will visit the family of Biswajit Patnaik in Beleghata, who was also killed and was the sole breadwinner of his household. The TMC camp hopes these visits will revitalize the party's base, though concerns remain about public reactions.
TMC MP Alleges Police Bias
Simultaneously, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee leveled serious allegations against a section of the state police, claiming they were acting under the influence of BJP legislators to file false, politically motivated cases against innocent TMC workers. Condemning instances of workers being paraded in handcuffs, he promised a rigorous legal battle. "I request the families of those still in custody to send me copies of FIRs and court orders. We will fight for you in the higher courts," he assured.
Opposition's Sarcastic Response
The opposition met the development with sharp sarcasm. Barrackpore BJP MLA Koustav Bagchi took a dig at Banerjee's month-long isolation, saying: "The opposition has every right to conduct political programmes in a democracy. However, I cannot predict what will happen if the public's boiling anger against Abhishek is reflected on the streets."
CPM youth leader Dipsita Dhar also weighed in, stating: "It is customary for netas to stand by their workers. But if Abhishek had stood by Jahangir Khan in Falta earlier, he wouldn't have had to retreat from the electoral battleground in the first place."
