Kolkata:
“Rulers became killers.” This was former Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s assessment of the pushing, pulling, and slapping of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee on camera in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas, on Saturday. Both the Trinamool Congress leaders blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the assault, prompting an immediate and categorical denial by the ruling party.
“RULERS BECAME KILLERS- shame on you, BJP,” said Mamata Banerjee, who lost power this month after an eventful 15 years, as the BJP formed its first government in the state.
Abhishek Banerjee, the de facto Number 2 in the Trinamool Congress, had gone to the area to meet with party workers and their families who allegedly faced violence following the TMC’s drubbing in the polls. As he was making his way through a crowd, wearing a cricket helmet to protect his head, a mob roughed him up and threw stones and eggs at him. He was also slapped and punched. The viral videos of the assault show him and his private security personnel struggling to stave off the assailants.
RULERS BECAME KILLERS- shame on you BJP https://t.co/DHNsnDAc9a
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 30, 2026
The Diamond Harbour MP branded the attack as “BJP-sponsored”.
“Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There are no police in the area. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till the local police send their force and offer protection to the victims’ families,” Banerjee said, news agency ANI reported.
Also read: Video: Abhishek Banerjee Assaulted During Visit To Party Worker’s House
BJP Denies Mamata Banerjee’s Allegation
The BJP denied Banerjee’s charge.
“There is no BJP involvement in the egg-throwing, manhandling incident. People know how TMC has governed for the last 15 years in the state. The police and authorities should look over the families affected by post-poll violence. The TMC has no moral or political right to go over to them,” said Samik Bhattacharya, the chief of the ruling party’s Bengal unit.
Also read: In Numbers: With Zero Deaths, Bengal Election Most Peaceful In 2 Decades
He also condemned the attack.
“This is not desirable in any healthy society. The results of this election have proven that arrogance and an exclusive, one-party hegemony cannot endure for long. People may have deep grievances or complaints; however, the actions of those perpetrating such incidents are not characteristic of a healthy democracy. This is unacceptable in a democratic society. Our party is in no way involved in these incidents,” he added.
The Congress accused the state government of “vendetta and persecution”.
“Strongly condemn the shocking attack on MP Shri Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur, as he went to meet the families affected by post-poll violence in the state,” he said, alleging a “deliberate lack of adequate police protection for a prominent Opposition leader”.
He demanded adequate security from the government for all Opposition leaders.
Violence has become a hallmark of the state’s politics, which was dominated by the Left and Trinamool Congress for over five decades. For a change, no major incidents of violence were reported before the Assembly elections. However, all hell broke loose after the polls.
The West Bengal Police said earlier this month that hundreds of people had been arrested over post-poll violence.
The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to “strictly maintain law and order at the ground level”.
