Abhishek Banerjee faces violent protests during Sonarpur visit:Eggs, shoes and bricks hurled; BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party condemn attack on TMC MP

Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee came under attack on Saturday while visiting families affected by alleged post-poll violence in Sonarpur. Travelling on a motorcycle instead of a four-wheeler, Banerjee was heading to the residence of deceased Trinamool worker Sanju Karmakar when protesters allegedly confronted him near the entrance to the area. According to reports, demonstrators allegedly pushed and physically assaulted him, striking his head, neck and body amid the chaos. Demonstrators show black flags on route Despite the confrontation, the Diamond Harbour MP continued towards the victim’s residence wearing a cricket helmet for protection. During the protest, eggs and shoes were allegedly hurled at him, while slogans of “chor, chor” (thief, thief) were raised by demonstrators. Reports also claimed that the buttons of Banerjee’s white shirt were torn off during the scuffle. Even amid the tense situation, he continued walking towards the house of the deceased party worker to meet the bereaved family. Eggs, shoes, and bricks allegedly hurled Even before he arrived in Sonarpur, groups of women were seen standing along the route carrying eggs, while BJP supporters gathered with black flags and raised “Go Back” slogans. His convoy encountered protests at several locations, including near Patuli’s Dhalai Bridge, Kamrabad and other parts of Sonarpur. Visit linked to post poll violence Saturday marked Banerjee’s first major political programme since the Assembly election results were announced nearly three weeks ago. He was scheduled to visit the families of two Trinamool workers in Sonarpur South and Beliaghata who were allegedly attacked after the polls. BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party condemn attack BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party, condemned the attack on Trinamool Congress national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur to meet the family of a party worker allegedly killed in post-poll violence. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya termed the incident “condemnable” and said such events were not expected in a democratic system. “People may have anger or grievances, but violence is unacceptable. Necessary action will be taken. No BJP worker or leader is involved in this attack,” he said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the attack, calling it “shocking”. In a post on X, Kharge said the lack of adequate police protection for a prominent Opposition leader raised serious questions and urged both the West Bengal and Union governments to ensure the safety of all political leaders. “Political differences can never justify any kind of violence,” he said. Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav described the attack as “highly condemnable” and alleged that the absence of adequate security in such a sensitive situation pointed towards a larger conspiracy. He said the attack reflected the politics of hatred and violence and demanded accountability for the incident. CID notice adds political significance Earlier in the day, a team of the state CID visited Banerjee’s residence, ‘Shantiniketan’ on Harish Mukherjee Road in connection with the Assembly signature forgery investigation. However, security personnel and staff reportedly informed officers that neither Banerjee nor his family members were present at the residence at the time. A Trinamool Congress worker was allegedly killed in post-poll violence in Beliaghata. On Saturday, Abhishek Banerjee met the deceased worker’s family members at the residence of Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh. Kunal Ghosh said, “Abhishek was at my residence. He met the family members of the worker who died and listened to their grievances. He assured them that necessary steps would be taken to address their concerns.” ​