TMC No. 2 Abhishek roughed up in Bengal, hospitalised: 'They want to kill me'

Abhishek Banerjee, one of the top leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), was hospitalised in Kolkata after faced physical attacks, allegedly from local people, on Saturday (May 30) when he visited the Sonarpur area near Kolkata to meet families of victims of post-poll violence, police sources said. Party supremo and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, also Abhishek's aunt, was also present along with other members of the family and party as he received treatment. Abhishek was seen seated on a wheelchair at the hospital.

Stones, shoes and eggs were hurled at Abhishek, also the TMC's national general secretary, by unidentified people who also tried to rain blows and kicks on the leader, while shouting “thief” slogans.

Abhishek protects self with helmet

Abhishek was seen being rescued by officials out of the area. He was seen wearing a cricket helmet, generally worn by police, while his white shirt was tattered. He said his spectacles were smashed. The motorcycle, which he was pillion riding to reach the residence of a deceased party worker, was also vandalised.

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According to local Bengali reports, women were seen standing with broomsticks, bamboo sticks and eggs in their hands even before Abhishek reached the party worker's house in Sonarpur. Asking why the MP was there, they said it was only a "thief visiting another thief", accusing the hosts as well.

"Where was he (Abhishek) when the Abhaya incident happened? How many times had he gone to meet the parents of Abhaya? We want an answer from him," another protesting woman questioned, referring to the rape-murder of a young doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.

'Look what they have done to me'

Abhishek, who met the family of the post-poll violence victim, later said, “Look what they have done to me. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till the local police send their force and offer protection to the victims’ families.”

Another report quoted him as saying that the attack was sponsored by the BJP. He said it’s not even a month since the new government took over and police were nowhere to be seen.

In response to the thief accusation, the parliamentarian counterattacked Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, saying it was the latter who was seen taking money openly, recalling the Narada sting operation of 2016. Adhikari was a member of the TMC then.

Mamata slammed the incident, saying, "RULERS BECAME KILLERS- shame on you BJP".

TMC responds, calls ruling BJP 'shameless'

The TMC came out with a strong statement after the incident, saying the attack showed "how rapidly law and order has deteriorated" under the BJP regime, which it called "shameless".

"If a sitting Opposition MP can be targeted in broad daylight, what hope is there for ordinary citizens?" it asked in a post on X.

Sagarika Ghose, TMC MP in the Rajya Sabha, was equally critical. Taking to social media, she called Bengal's BJP government "lawless anti democratic" which allowed violent attacks on Abhishek.

"Security withdrawn, no police. Is this where the BJP wants to take Bengal?" she asked.

Also read: After Mamata's fortress falls in Bengal, can TMC MPs keep party flag flying?

BJP state chief reacts: 'Outburst of anger'

BJP's Bengal chief Samik Bhattacharjee ruled out his party's involvement in the incident and said it could be the outburst of anger of the local people who he accused the in-power TMC torturing over the years.

"The BJP is not involved in such activities. What has happened is not expected in a democracy," Bhattacharya told reporters.

"I will not be able to say why police were not there; it is a matter of the administration. I am from the party. What the TMC has done to our party workers all these years cannot be described. We still remember what they did to Rupa Ganguly, to our leaders in South 24 Parganas district. Today, because we are restrained, that is why the TMC is still there," he added.

Akhilesh Yadav condemns attack

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who stood by Mamata after the electoral debacle, called the incident as "murderous attack" on Abhishek. In a post on X, he said, "By orchestrating a murderous attack on Shri Abhishek Banerjee ji, a key leader of the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, the anarchic BJP government in Bengal has proven that the BJP is capable of nothing but hate-filled, negative, violent politics. Even in such a sensitive environment, the absence of police arrangements points to a major conspiracy."

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Abhishek, who has also been summoned by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with various cases, has faced flak in his own party after the debacle with many leaders alleging that his style of functioning led to the loss.

On Saturday, the CID served a notice to Abhishek, asking him to appear before its sleuths in connection with a probe into alleged forged signatures of party legislators endorsing Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition.

The notification, characterised by CID sources as a summons instructing him to attend for interrogation at the agency's Bhabani Bhavan headquarters in Kolkata on Monday (June 1), was delivered directly to Abhishek at his residence in Kalighat.

On May 21, the TMC faced another humiliation when it was pushed to the fourth position in the repolling in Falta assembly constituency, which falls under Diamond Harbour. There were also allegations from within the party that the leader remained in hiding even as TMC workers were at the receiving end of post-poll violence.