Abhishek Banerjee Faces Protests and Assault During Visit to Alleged Post-Poll Violence Victim in Sonarpur

Kolkata, May 2026 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee faced intense protests and alleged physical assault during a visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, where he had gone to meet a party worker reportedly affected by post-election violence.

The incident occurred just hours after Banerjee received a notice from the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) seeking his appearance for questioning at his residence in south Kolkata. Despite the development, he proceeded with his scheduled visits to areas where TMC workers had allegedly been targeted following the declaration of the Assembly election results on May 4.

Banerjee began his journey from his Kalighat residence and first encountered opposition at Kamalgazi, where a group of women protesters waved black flags and raised slogans against him. However, the most intense confrontation unfolded after he reached Sonarpur.

According to reports, hundreds of local residents, including a large number of women, gathered to protest his arrival. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the TMC leader, accusing him of corruption and expressing anger over local political issues. The situation escalated rapidly as Banerjee stepped out of his vehicle and mounted a motorcycle belonging to a local party worker in an attempt to reach the residence of the alleged victim.

Protesters reportedly surged toward him, leading to chaotic scenes. Several women allegedly slapped and pushed the MP, while others hurled eggs in his direction. In the melee, Banerjee’s shirt was torn. Stones were also reportedly thrown, though none caused serious injury.

To protect himself after being struck by eggs, Banerjee was seen wearing a cricket helmet while moving through the crowd. Security personnel and party workers struggled to contain the protesters as tensions mounted in the area.

Speaking after the incident, Banerjee alleged that the attack was orchestrated by supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed that he had merely gone to meet Sanju Karmakar, a TMC worker who was allegedly subjected to post-poll violence, and questioned the state of law and order in the region.

“The helmet helped protect me from serious injury. It is shocking that such an attack could take place while I was visiting a victim. Equally concerning was the apparent absence of adequate police presence at the site,” Banerjee said.

The TMC leader further stated that he intends to approach the Calcutta High Court regarding the incident and plans to inform R. N. Ravi about the events that transpired.

Saturday marked Banerjee’s first major public outreach since the Assembly election results were announced. Earlier in the day, he had visited Beliaghata in north Kolkata to meet another party worker who had allegedly been affected by post-election violence.

The dramatic scenes in Sonarpur have added a fresh political dimension to the ongoing debate over post-poll tensions in West Bengal, with both the ruling TMC and opposition parties expected to trade accusations over the incident in the coming days.