Abhishek Banerjee attacked by locals during Sonarpur visit
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked on Saturday in West Bengal’s Sonarpur area while visiting families of post-poll violence victims, police said, with locals allegedly roughing him up.
Unidentified people hurled objects and attempted to attack Banerjee while shouting ‘thief’ slogans. Television visuals showed him being escorted out, wearing a torn shirt and a helmet. Stones, shoes and eggs were hurled at the MP by unidentified people who even attempted to rain blows and kicks on him, while they shouted ‘thief, thief’ slogans.
During the visit, Banerjee told the victims’ families, “Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There is no police in the area. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till police send their force and offer protection to the victims’ families.” Meanwhile, local women, holding broomsticks and bamboo sticks, gathered outside the house of the TMC party worker Banerjee had come to visit. When questioned about the purpose of his visit, they raised slogans against him.
“Why has he come here? The person he visits is also a thief, like a thief visiting another thief,” one protesting woman said.
Another added, “Where was he when the Abhaya incident happened? We want an answer from him.”
Meanwhile, BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya said the incident could be the outcome of the anger of locals who were “tortured” over the years. The BJP is not involved in such activities. What has happened is not expected in a democracy,” Bhattacharya told reporters.
“I can’t say why the police were absent; it’s an administration issue. Over the years, TMC targeted our workers. We remember what they did to Rupa Ganguly and other leaders in South 24 Parganas. We are restrained, and that’s why TMC remains,” he added. A large team of central forces and Sonarpur police arrived to control the situation and escort Banerjee out, police said.
TMC supremo and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday strongly condemned the attack on party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at Sonarpur, alleging that the BJP was behind the incident.
The Congress on Saturday strongly condemned the attack on TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur, West Bengal. It said the deliberate lack of adequate police protection for a prominent opposition leader speaks volumes about the BJP’s politics of “vendetta and persecution”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Strongly condemn the shocking attack on MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur, as he went to meet the families affected by post-poll violence in the State. “The deliberate lack of adequate police protection for a prominent Opposition leader speaks volumes about the BJP’s politics of vendetta and persecution,” the Congress president said.
