Mamata Banerjee joined the protest against the alleged attack outside Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat residence at 2:00 AM. Abhishek had been celebrating his birthday when he heard a war of words ensue below his house between Mamata’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP workers. The MP then intervened when the battle turned violent after posters belonging to Abhishek were torn up.
The TMC founder also alleged that women party workers were beaten up.
“I will not go, I will stay here,” said Mamata while addressing her supporters. The TMC supremo referred to the BJP supporters present outside Abhishek’s house at 2:00 AM as a "gang of thugs", and that the saffron party was resorting to hooliganism on the eve of Kali Puja.
Mamata questioned why they were causing disturbance on a route from where many Kali Puja processions pass by.
“You have revoked permissions for our old traditional pujas while permitting new ones to be held. You also prevented local clubs from functioning last night. The anger is because we are part of the INDIA alliance,” alleged Mamata.
She questioned why the TMC’s local work was being disrupted by BJP workers coming in the middle of the night. Mamata also asked why an illegal Kali Puja pandal was placed right in front of the main road at the last moment blocking the locality puja.
“What is this? This is purely high-handedness and oppression. You want to bring in bulldozers? Go ahead, run your bulldozers over us, over our bodies."
Meanwhile, Abhishek thanked his supporters for standing by him.
“Police were standing like bystanders. They were assaulted by BJP goons. Police which can’t stand up for themselves and are assaulted by BJP goons can never protect the common man,” said Abhishek Banerjee.
“Bengal is not anyone’s personal property to create a ruckus anytime. I warn TMC workers not to give in to hooliganism. Stay alert. The entire country watched what happened yesterday. In order to kill me, those who roam with Suvendu Adhikari targeted me near the airport on June 19. We filed an FIR, police did not take action. We will take legal action. This fight will go on in court,” added Abhishek, while appealing to his supporters to remain calm and not inconvenience the public.
The TMC MP alleged that for the last two days, BJP goons had conducted a recce to carry out the attack.
“Not one BJP lumpen has been summoned for questioning. This is BJP’s fear-out-faith-in model. If there are attacks seven times outside an MP’s house, then what about the common man’s security?” questioned Abhishek.
The MP also spoke about attacks on Mamata while leaving the house and the Chief Minister’s comments on seeing how Mamata leaves the house.
“You cannot sit on a constitutional chair and issue threats, Suvendu babu,” said the TMC MP.
“If you have the guts, go onto the streets for 15 minutes without the police.”
Abhishek reiterated that TMC will remain and keep fighting.
The MP spoke about attacks on him seven times in the six months that the BJP came into power in West Bengal. This includes the alleged attack at the airport in June, the attack on his Camac Street office, on his Bantala office, and on his residence.
“They tried to loot my office and take away documents. TMC workers kept guard till 3:00 AM,” added the MP.
Meanwhile his colleague, TMC MP of Mamata’s faction Kirti Azad, wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla with concerns over life-threatening attacks on Abhishek. Azad also cited BJP’s involvement.
Abhishek’s Z-plus security cover was removed soon after the BJP came into power in West Bengal. The MP was thereafter first attacked at the end of May at Baruipur, while meeting TMC supporters' families affected by political violence.
Mamata’s faction of TMC is using the latest attack as ammunition to play the victim card and hit back at the BJP. With the party’s protests in the state being restricted due to permission issues from state government, Mamata and Abishek find themselves cornered in a state where their party once ruled.
Their fight alongside the INDIA bloc in Delhi, callinng for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, gives Mamata’s faction the power to speak out at the national stage.
