Who attacked Abhishek Banerjee? TMC, BJP pin blame on each other

The attack on Abhishek Banerjee has triggered a political confrontation between TMC and BJP, with both parties trading allegations over responsibility. While TMC claims BJP-backed mob involvement and cites the presence of a local BJP functionary, the BJP counters that internal rivalries within the TMC may have driven the incident.

In Short

• Police arrested four men after overnight raids using local video footage
• Abhishek Banerjee faced stone pelting, egg hurling and abuse in Sonarpur
• The Trinamool MP was visiting people affected by alleged post-poll violence

Who is to blame for the attack on Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee when he was on his way to meet the family of a TMC worker allegedly killed in post-poll violence this year? For the TMC, it was an organised mob attack by the BJP. For the BJP, the attack on Abhishek was the result of an internal factional fight within the TMC.

With both sides seeking to pin responsibility on the other, claims and counter-claims have flown thick and fast over the incident, which has left the TMC top brass visibly shaken.

Earlier in the day, the TMC shared a photograph alleging that BJP's Mondal president Abhijit Biswas was present at the scene and was "actively directing and instigating" the crowd. The party questioned the BJP's claim that the incident was a spontaneous expression of public anger, asking who had mobilised the crowd and who was behind the attack.

Responding to the allegations, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that the six people arrested in connection with the attack were close associates of former TMC MLA Lovely Maitra until recently. He said the revelation raised questions about whether the incident was linked to internal factionalism within the Trinamool Congress rather than political opponents.

The TMC, however, rejected BJP's counter and released another photograph of the incident, identifying a man named Akash Gayan as one of the alleged attackers. The party claimed Gayan was a BJP worker and pointed to his social media activity as evidence of his political affiliation.

In a post, the TMC accused Amit Malviya and others of attempting to divert attention from the incident.

At least five people have been arrested for allegedly attacking Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, police said on Sunday. According to a senior police officer, the arrests were made during overnight raids on the basis of video footage collected from the area.

The attack took place on Saturday when the Diamond Harbour MP went to Sonarpur town to visit victims of post-poll violence. Banerjee later alleged that BJP activists were trying to kill him, while the BJP denied any involvement and said such incidents were not desirable in a healthy and normal society.

Police said scores of people hurled stones, eggs and abuse at Banerjee. He was escorted away from the mob by his aides and was seen wearing a cricket helmet. Unidentified people also scuffled with him and roughed him up while raising chants of "thief, thief".

The situation soon turned chaotic, with some people in the crowd reportedly trying to physically attack Banerjee by raining blows and kicks on him, prompting swift intervention by security personnel. A police officer said a case had been registered suo motu as neither Banerjee nor the Trinamool Congress had lodged a formal complaint till Sunday. The four arrested persons will be produced before a court in Baruipur, police said.

Banerjee was later briefly admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata and was discharged after primary medical attention. Reacting to the incident, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP. "RULERS BECAME KILLERS- shame on you BJP!" she wrote on X. Mamata Banerjee, along with party leaders Firhad Kakim and Derek O'Brien, also visited the hospital where Abhishek Banerjee had checked in.

Condemning the attack, BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya said the party had no role in it. "The BJP is not involved in such activities. But what happened could be the outcome of the anger of locals who were tortured over the years," Bhattacharya said. Police said the investigation was under way after the arrests made following the overnight raids.

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