Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee has claimed that he suffered a head injury in an alleged attack by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Sunday, a day after party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was assaulted in Sonarpur.
Kalyan Banerjee, also a lawyer, said after the alleged attack: “Look how they attacked me in front of the police. Yesterday they tried to kill Abhishek and today they tried to kill me.” He protested near Chanditala police station.
Meanwhile, police arrested five people and detained two others on Sunday for allegedly harassing and manhandling Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, officers said. The police also registered a suo motu case after the incident, which TMC claimed was an attempt to kill the Diamond Harbor MP.
Abhishek was attacked on his way to the house of a party worker who was allegedly killed in the post-poll violence in Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district.
Kalyan Banerjee said he was going to Chanditala police station in Hooghly district to submit a memorandum regarding the post-election violence on Sunday. A large police contingent was present at the spot as a group of BJP workers gathered there raising black flags. They chanted slogans of “chor” (thief) upon seeing him. He was allegedly attacked near Chanditala police station.
Police said Kalyan Banerjee neither registered a formal complaint nor visited the hospital after the alleged attack. Instead, he sat on the dharna. An officer, requesting anonymity, said: “There was a huge police presence when he raised the allegation and lay down on the ground holding his head. He said he was bleeding. We urged him to register a complaint because the entire incident, since he arrived at the spot, was captured on video.”
The TMC claimed that West Bengal was witnessing complete chaos following its defeat to the BJP in the Assembly elections.
“Less than 24 hours after the attack on @abhishekaitc yesterday, ShriKBanerjee_AITC was attacked today while he was on his way to deliver a delegation to Chandithala Police Station. He was injured by BJP-backed miscreants. How were these rioters allowed to gather outside the police station? How could they be beaten with bricks in the presence of police? It has been 26 days since the election results were announced, however, the TMC said in a post on Relentless!
Kunal Ghosh, a senior TMC leader, said party president Mamata Banerjee will hold a protest on June 2 on Rani Rashmoni Road. “The post-election violence is continuing now. Mamata Banerjee will cover all issues and lead our protest on Tuesday,” he said.
The accused have been identified as TMC workers, Union Minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told reporters after the arrests in the Sonarpur incident. “We have learned that the accused are TMC workers and are known to be close to Lovely Maitra. Let the police investigate,” Majumdar said, referring to the former TMC MLA from Sonarpur South seat.
But Mitra refuted the charge. “Several women, active BJP workers, participated in the attack. The BJP is trying to portray the planned attack as an opposition agitation by the locals,” Mitra said.
