Eggs hurled, shirt torn: Abhishek Banerjee attacked during visit to meet party worker

TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee wears a helmet after stones, shoes, and eggs were hurled at him during his visit to the families of post-poll violence victims, in Sonarpur, West Bengal, on Saturday. PIC/PTI

Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly assaulted by protesters on Saturday after he reached Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal to meet a party worker who reportedly became a victim of post-poll violence after the results of the recently concluded assembly elections were announced on May 4.

On Saturday afternoon, shortly after receiving a notice from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for interrogation at his residence on Kalighat Road in south Kolkata, Banerjee left for Sonarpur. His vehicle first encountered protests at Kamal Gazi, where a group of women showed him black flags, news agency IANS reported.

However, larger protests awaited him upon his arrival in Sonarpur, where hundreds of local residents, including women, raised slogans against him and described him as a "thief". Banerjee then got off his vehicle and rode on a motorcycle belonging to a local TMC activist to reach his destination.

According to IANS, protesters charged towards him, with some women allegedly slapping him while others threw eggs at him. His shirt was also reportedly torn during the commotion.

Abhishek Banerjee dons cricket helmet after eggs, stones allegedly hurled at him

After being hit by a couple of eggs hurled at him, the TMC Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) quickly put on a cricket helmet to protect himself. Stones were also allegedly hurled in his direction but did not hit him.

"I came to meet our party worker, Sanju Karmakar, who was reportedly a victim of post-poll violence, and I faced such things. Because of the helmet, my head somehow got saved. This was the handiwork of the Bharatiya Janata Party-backed goons. Is democracy at all prevailing in West Bengal? Surprisingly, the police were not seen anywhere near while I was attacked. It is not even a month since the new government in West Bengal has taken charge, and this is the situation already," Banerjee said.

He also stated that he would move the Calcutta High Court in the matter and inform West Bengal Governor RN Ravi about the incident.

After remaining homebound since the assembly election results were declared, Banerjee stepped out for his first public programmes on Saturday. Earlier in the day, he visited Beliaghata in north Kolkata to meet another party worker who had also reportedly become a victim of post-poll violence.

(With IANS inputs)