A visit by Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to the family of a man allegedly killed in post-poll violence descended into chaos in West Bengal’s Sonarpur on Saturday, as he was confronted by a hostile crowd that hurled stones and eggs, shouted “chor chor” slogans and forced security personnel to scramble for his protection.
Television visuals showed Banerjee being escorted through the crowd wearing a helmet, with his shirt torn and spectacles damaged during the confrontation. Hours later, he was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata, where he was visited by his aunt and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as the incident triggered a fresh political firestorm between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
Banerjee accused BJP activists of orchestrating the attack and said, “They are trying to break the house and they want to kill me,” he said.
VISIT TO BEREAVED FAMILY ENDS IN CHAOS
Banerjee’s visit was intended as a show of solidarity with the family of Sanju Karmakar. However, long before he reached the residence, signs of trouble had begun to emerge.
According to eyewitnesses and local accounts, scores of people gathered in the Kamrabad area under Ward 9 of Rajpur-Sonarpur municipality as news spread about his arrival.
Banerjee reportedly attempted to enter the locality riding pillion on a motorcycle but was forced to disembark when angry residents surrounded the vehicle, shouting slogans and throwing eggs and shoes.
Determined to proceed, the Diamond Harbour MP began walking towards the house, which was roughly a kilometre away. As he moved through the area on foot, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
The crowd swelled into the hundreds. Stones, eggs, shoes and abuses were hurled at him. Protesters blocked roads and attempted to prevent him from advancing.
Videos from the scene showed Banerjee struggling to move through narrow lanes while security personnel and party workers formed a human shield around him.
Witnesses claimed some protesters attempted to physically assault him, raining blows and kicks amid the chaos before security personnel intervened.
The intensity of the confrontation forced police to provide Banerjee with a helmet for protection. Images of one of the state’s most powerful political figures navigating a hostile crowd while wearing protective headgear quickly dominated television screens and social media.
‘THEY WANT TO KILL ME’
As tensions escalated, Banerjee accused BJP supporters of orchestrating a planned attack and alleged that there had been a serious security failure despite prior communication with authorities.
“I will not move out from here till police and forces ensure security here. They are trying to break the house and they want to kill me,” he said from inside the residence he had come to visit.
Claiming that police had been informed well in advance of the programme, Banerjee said, “We had mailed police and intimated them about our visit. We called the police but police did not pick up the call.”
Later, while addressing reporters, he sharpened his accusations.
“They wanted to kill me. The whole incident has been captured on camera. We will definitely let the High Court know about this. We will also let the Governor know about this. I will definitely move court.”
Launching a direct attack on the BJP, he added, “It is all BJP-sponsored. Look what they have done. This is their example of democracy. It hasn’t even been a month, and the police are nowhere to be seen. My head was somehow spared; fortunately, I was wearing a helmet. They have torn my clothes and broken my spectacles.”
Despite the violence, Banerjee insisted he would not leave immediately.
“I will not abandon Sanju’s elderly parents in this condition until additional forces arrive. I will once again ask our workers to contact the police.”
ANGER ON THE STREETS
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the confrontation was the visible participation of local women, many of whom gathered outside the residence carrying broomsticks and bamboo sticks while shouting slogans against the TMC leader.
Their anger appeared to go far beyond the day’s events.
Several residents accused the ruling party of corruption, neglect and poor governance.
“Everything has been destroyed because of corruption. Look at the condition of the roads. We are suffering because of waterlogging,” one woman said.
Another resident spoke of years of deprivation.
“Nothing has happened in 15 years. Look at the roads. We don’t have drinking water. My parents have grown old, my son is disabled and nobody has looked after us.”
Questioning Banerjee’s wealth, the resident continued, “He has built 17 houses. How? I am a poor man. I sing on trains to earn a living. Now a new government has come and we have hope.”
Several protesters questioned why Banerjee had chosen to visit the area.
“Why has he come here? The person whose house he has come to visit is also a thief. It is like a thief visiting another thief,” one woman alleged.
Another invoked the RG Kar hospital rape and murder case.
“Where was he when the Abhaya incident happened? How many times had he gone to meet the parents of Abhaya? We want an answer from him.”
Some protesters linked their anger to comments Banerjee allegedly made during the election campaign.
One resident said, “He had said from campaign stages that he would play DJ music from May 4 after results were declared and no father-figure from Delhi would come to protect us. That’s why we have gathered here today to pay him back in his own coin.”
Locals also alleged that years of extortion, syndicate operations, deteriorating infrastructure, clogged drains and poor drinking water supply had fuelled resentment against the ruling establishment.
SECURITY QUESTIONS EMERGE AMID CLAIMS POLICE WERE MISSING
One of the central controversies arising from the incident concerns the apparent lack of security at the site during the initial stages of the confrontation.
Banerjee repeatedly alleged that police were absent when the attack began despite prior intimation regarding his visit.
As the situation deteriorated, a large contingent of personnel from Sonarpur Police Station, accompanied by armed central forces, eventually reached the area.
The forces moved in to restore order and escort Banerjee out.
Even then, protesters continued shouting slogans from roads, rooftops and surrounding buildings as security personnel struggled to clear a path.
The incident has since raised questions over whether adequate security arrangements had been made for a high-profile political leader visiting a politically sensitive area in the aftermath of a fiercely contested election.
DEREK O’BRIEN RAISES SECURITY WITHDRAWAL QUESTION
The controversy deepened further after Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien publicly questioned the circumstances under which Banerjee’s security was allegedly reduced.
In a strongly worded post on X, O’Brien wrote, “What is happening now in Bengal? The Lok Sabha Leader of the second largest Opposition party @AITCofficial went to visit the family of a person murdered by BJP in post-poll violence. @abhishekaitc was lynched and attacked by a few BJP supporters. Life at risk. Where are the police? Why was security withdrawn on the day of counting? Let the Home Minister answer.”
O’Brien alleged that Banerjee’s security had been withdrawn on counting day and sought answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He also shared videos from the incident, claiming they showed a “lethal attack” on the TMC leader.
TMC ACCUSES BJP OF ATTEMPTED ELIMINATION
The Trinamool Congress later circulated multiple videos from the scene and accused BJP-backed activists of engineering the attack.
In a statement, the party praised Banerjee for remaining with the victim’s family despite the violence.
“Even after a vicious attack by BJP-backed miscreants, our National General Secretary chose not to turn back. Instead, he stood beside a family devastated by an unimaginable loss allegedly inflicted by BJP-backed hooligans.”
The party’s leaders portrayed the episode as a direct attack on one of the most prominent faces of the TMC.
MAMATA BANERJEE RUSHES TO HOSPITAL
Following the confrontation, Banerjee was taken to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata, where he received medical attention before being discharged.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later visited him at the hospital.
Senior TMC leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Derek O’Brien, also arrived there.
Reacting sharply to the attack, Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP.
“RULERS BECAME KILLERS – shame on you BJP!” she wrote on X.
Her remarks further intensified the political confrontation that has followed the incident.
KAPIL SIBAL CONDEMNS ATTACK
Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also weighed in on the controversy.
Condemning the violence, Sibal accused the BJP of fostering a culture of aggression.
“The BJP epitomises violence both in words and deeds.”
Calling the attack condemnable, he said, “This condemnable violent attack on Abhishek shows that the BJP is full of lumpen elements who are far removed from Sanatan Dharma.”
“Adharma is their way of life,” he added.
BJP CONDEMNS VIOLENCE BUT REJECTS RESPONSIBILITY
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya condemned the attack but firmly denied any involvement by his party.
“What has happened is not expected in a democracy. This kind of incident is not good for a healthy society.”
However, Bhattacharya argued that the incident reflected accumulated public anger against the ruling party.
“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.”
He also questioned why police were not present.
“I cannot say why police were not there. That is a matter for the administration and the state government.”
Bhattacharya used the opportunity to highlight what he described as years of political violence against BJP leaders and workers.
“What the TMC has done to our workers over the years cannot be described.”
Referring to past incidents, he said, “We still remember what happened to Roopa Ganguly.”
He also claimed that attacks on BJP leaders had occurred repeatedly in South 24 Parganas and elsewhere.
“One mustn’t forget that the TMC had earlier tried to burn Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the CM, inside his car in north Bengal. Several of our national party presidents have been attacked in this very district.”
“The TMC still exists today because the BJP is restrained,” he added.
A NEW FLASHPOINT IN BENGAL’S BITTER POLITICAL WAR
The scenes from Sonarpur have rapidly become one of the defining political images of West Bengal’s post-election period.
A senior opposition leader being forced to wear a helmet while stones, eggs and shoes fly around him, his shirt torn and spectacles broken, has added a dramatic new chapter to the state’s long history of political confrontation.
The Trinamool Congress has framed the episode as a politically motivated attempt on Banerjee’s life and has threatened legal action, including approaching the High Court and informing the Governor.
The BJP, while condemning the violence, has portrayed the incident as an eruption of long-simmering public resentment against the ruling party.
With accusations and counter-accusations escalating, questions are now being asked about security arrangements, the alleged withdrawal of protection, the role of local police, and whether the violence could have been prevented.
As investigations continue and political tempers rise, the Sonarpur confrontation is set to remain at the centre of Bengal’s political discourse, further deepening an already bitter rivalry between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
– Ends
With inputs from ANI