Four arrested in connection with assault on TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
The incident occurred on Saturday when Banerjee, who represents the Diamond Harbour constituency, visited Sonarpur to meet victims of post-poll violence.
PTC News Desk: Four people have been arrested for allegedly attacking Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas, police said on Sunday. A senior officer stated that the arrests were made during overnight raids after investigators reviewed video footage from the area.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Banerjee, who represents the Diamond Harbour constituency, visited Sonarpur to meet victims of post-poll violence. According to reports, a large crowd hurled stones, eggs and verbal abuse at the TMC leader. Wearing a cricket helmet and assisted by his aides, Banerjee managed to leave the area safely.
Witnesses said some members of the crowd scuffled with the leader, shouted “thief, thief” slogans and allegedly attempted to physically assault him. Security personnel intervened and escorted him away as the situation turned chaotic.
Banerjee later alleged that activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party were behind the attack and claimed there had been an attempt on his life.
Police have registered a case on their own initiative, as neither Banerjee nor the All India Trinamool Congress had filed a formal complaint as of Sunday. The four accused are expected to be produced before a court in Baruipur.
Following the incident, Banerjee was briefly admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata for medical evaluation and was discharged after receiving primary treatment.
Reacting strongly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP for the attack. In a post on social media, she wrote, “RULERS BECAME KILLERS – shame on you BJP!” She later visited the hospital along with senior TMC leaders Firhad Hakim and Derek O'Brien.
Condemning the violence, Samik Bhattacharya said such incidents have no place in a healthy democracy, while maintaining that the BJP had no involvement in the attack. He suggested the incident could have been a result of public anger among local residents who, according to him, had faced hardships over the years.