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Assault On Abhishek Banerjee: ‘Pre-Planned Attack By BJP Goons’, Alleges Trinamool Congress

By Samira Vishwas

Kolkata: Opposition parties condemned the assault on Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, blaming the BJP for the violence during his visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, where he had gone to meet families affected by post-poll violence.

TMC called it “a meticulously pre-planned attack by BJP goons”.

“Today’s attack on our National General Secretary EXPOSED @SuvenduWB’s agenda for #Bengal – heckle, harass and attack EVERY SINGLE TRINAMOOL CONGRESS WORKER. The people of Bengal are being forced to live under a regime of fear and intimidation. Opposition workers are being attacked in BROAD DAYLIGHT, miscreants run amok, and yet the FAILED CM remains silent. When violence flourishes and those in power look away, it sends a dangerous message: LAWLESSNESS ENJOYS POLITICAL PROTECTION,” TMC posted on its official handle along with a video of Abhishek being taken into a private nursing home.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP.

“RULERS BECAME KILLERS — shame on you BJP,” she wrote on X.

The Diamond Harbour MP was taken to a private hospital after returning to Kolkata. Mamata drove down to check on her nephew.

Around half an hour later, Abhishek was wheeled out, and Mamata said he was being shifted as he didn’t receive proper treatment there.

Abhishek was then taken to another private nursing home, where he was admitted, according to TMC sources.

As images of Abhishek wearing a helmet, with his shirt torn and egg splashed all over him, went viral on social media, leaders of Opposition parties joined TMC in condemning the attack.

Kharge, Akhilesh condemn attack, slam BJP

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the absence of adequate security reflected BJP’s approach of targeting opposition voices.

“Strongly condemn the shocking attack on MP Shri 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,” Kharge said on X.

“The Government of West Bengal and the Union Government must ensure security for all Opposition leaders and take immediate steps to prevent such attacks. Political differences can never justify any kind of violence,” Kharge added.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government in West Bengal was responsible for the deteriorating law-and-order situation.

“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,” Akhilesh said in a post on X.

He alleged that the absence of police deployment despite the sensitive atmosphere pointed towards a larger conspiracy. “Even in such a sensitive environment, the absence of police arrangements points to a major conspiracy. Utterly condemnable!” he added.

BJP denies any role

BJP leaders denied any role of his party in the incident and said the attack could have been a manifestation of public anger against the ruling Trinamool Congress.

“The BJP is not involved in such activities. What has happened is not expected in a democracy,” said BJP’s West Bengal unit president Samik Bhattacharya.

On the absence of police personnel at the spot, Samik said it was an administrative matter.

“I will not be able to say why police were not there; it is a matter of the administration. I am from the party,” he said.

Samik referred to past attacks by the TMC on his party workers.

“What they did all these years cannot be described,” he said. “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.

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