Attack on TMC Leader Abhishek Banerjee Sparks Political War in Bengal, Six Arrested, CID Notice Adds Twist

Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee was attacked by an agitated mob on Saturday during his visit to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, triggering a fierce political storm that has since spiralled well beyond the incident itself. Six people have now been arrested in connection with the assault, with investigations continuing to identify others involved.

Banerjee had travelled to the area as part of a statewide outreach initiative to meet party workers and families the TMC claims were targeted in post election violence . He first visited the family of Sanju Karmakar in Sonarpur South before the situation turned volatile. Attempting to enter the locality on a motorcycle, he was forced to dismount when agitated locals gathered around him, hurling stones, shoes and eggs while raising “ chor, chor ” chants. Television visuals showed Banerjee being escorted out wearing a helmet, his shirt torn during the commotion. Central forces and Sonarpur police station personnel rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control and move him to safety.

Banerjee blamed the ruling BJP for the attack, alleged the police were absent when the incident occurred, and called the entire episode pre planned. He was subsequently taken to Belle Vue Hospital in Kolkata for medical attention and later discharged.

The episode then took a fresh turn. Former Chief Minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee , who visited him in hospital, alleged that the BJP was pressuring hospitals not to admit Banerjee following the attack, claiming that police were even threatening hospital staff to seek party permission before treating him. The BJP hit back sharply, with West Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar sharing an audio clip in which Mamata was purportedly heard expressing anger over a hospital’s reluctance to admit the Diamond Harbour MP, and alleging that the hospitalisation was aimed at building a political narrative and avoiding a CID summons.

A further dimension emerged when it was reported that the West Bengal Police’s CID has served a notice on Abhishek Banerjee, with him scheduled to appear before the agency on June 1 , though he stated he would never bow down.

TMC MP Saugata Roy dismissed the arrests as a formality, alleging that those detained were not the principal accused and that the actual perpetrators, whom the party identified as active BJP workers, remained free. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya , while condemning violence in general, maintained that the party was not involved, suggesting the incident reflected long suppressed public anger against years of TMC rule.

The attack has sharpened an already volatile political atmosphere in West Bengal, with both parties trading accusations that show no sign of abating.