Kolkata, 30 May: Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was physically assaulted with eggs, stones and bricks during a visit to Sonarpur, West Bengal, to meet the family of Sanju Karmakar, a party worker who was killed in the post-poll violence.
As he entered the area, slogans of ‘chor, chor’ echoed through the crowd. Witnesses claimed unidentified people started the slogan as they hurled stones, bricks, eggs, shoes and even muddy water at Banerjee’s convoy.
Viral videos from the day show the TMC MP being escorted away by security personnel as he wore a cricket helmet to secure his head from further assault. His outfit bore visible marks of the assault, with his spectacles visibly broken.
Banerjee reacted to the incident by saying, “They wanted to kill me. The whole incident has been captured on camera. A month hasn’t been over yet. No police were in sight”. He also claimed it was a BJP-sponsored, pre-planned attack. “I would move to court,” he added later on.
Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Minister of West Bengal and Abhishek Banerjee’s aunt, condemned the act and directly blamed BJP for the physical assault. She said, “The rulers have become killers,” according to reports.
Meanwhile, the BJP denied any involvement. Samik Bhattacharya, state party president, called the act ‘unfortunate’ but he argued that the assault is a result of the deep-seated public discontent with TMC.
The incident has raised questions about how the security breach could have happened when Banerjee is a prominent political leader of West Bengal. The issue remains a subject for public discussion.
This visit was Abhishek Banerjee’s first major public appearance 26 days after TMC’s crushing defeat in the 2026 State Assembly Election.
The attack has seriously raised concerns about the security arrangements with both TMC and BJP continuing to trade accusations with each other while the investigation rolls on.
