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'Attempt to murder me': Kalyan Banerjee's big allegations after 'attack by BJP goons with saffron clothes'
Calling the attack an “attempt to murder” him, Kalyan Banerjee said a serious condition is prevailing in Bengal and that there was a total lawlessness condition
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha member Kalyan Banerjee alleged on Sunday that he sustained head injury when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers allegedly attacked him at Chanditala in West Bengal's Hooghly district where he represents the Sreerampur seat since 2009.
The allegation arose a day after the TMC national general secretary and South 24 Parganas district's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly heckled and manhandled at Sonarpur.
"Look how they have attacked me in front of the police. Yesterday they tried to murder Abhishek and today they tried to murder me," Kalyan Banerjee said at a sit-in-demonstration near the Chanditala police station after the alleged attack.
He said the incident happened while he was going to the police station to submit a memorandum regarding post-poll violence.
Also Read | TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee attacked near Kolkata, day after assault on Abhishek
A group of people, allegedly BJP workers, waved black flags at him and shouted slogans of 'chor' (thief). A police contingent was at the spot.
Narrating the sequence of events, Kalyan Banerjee said, "(I was here) to meet with the officer in charge of the Chanditala police station and to give deputation... I was walking with my PSO at Chanditala crossing, which is 50 kilometres from Chanditala Police Station. There were 10-15 BJP goons in saffron clothing who suddenly shouted slogans and created a rivalry atmosphere. They were abusing me, but I was proceeding. At that point of time, a stone was thrown at my head."
What police said?
Police said Kalyan Banerjee neither registered an official complaint nor visited a hospital after the alleged attack, instead, he sat on a dharna (sit-in-demonstration).
"There was a huge police deployment when he raised the allegation and lay on the ground, holding his head. He said he was bleeding. We urged him to register a complaint since the entire incident, right from his arrival at the spot, had been videographed," a police officer said, requesting anonymity.
Complete lawlessness in Bengal, alleges TMC
The TMC alleged that Bengal was witnessing complete lawlessness after its defeat to the BJP in the two-phase assembly polls.
"Less than 24 hours after the attack on @abhishekaitc yesterday, Shri @KBanerjee_AITC was attacked today while on his way to submit a deputation at Chanditala Police Station. He sustained a injury at the hands of BJP-backed miscreants. How were these hooligans allowed to gather outside the police station? How could brick-batting take place in the presence of the police? It has been 26 days since the election results were declared, yet post-poll violence continues unabated. COMPLETE LAWLESSNESS! DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK!," TMC wrote in a post on X.
Also Read | Abhishek Banerjee ‘attack’ accused linked to ex-TMC MLA Lovely Maitra? What we know
Police arrested five persons and detained two during overnight raids for allegedly heckling and manhandling Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday afternoon, police said. Police initiated a suo motu case after the incident. TMC described it as an 'attempt to murder Abhishek'.
Union minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said that after the arrests, accused were identified as TMC workers.
"We have come to know that the accused are TMC workers and known to be close to Lovely Maitra. Let the police investigate," Majumdar said, referring to the former TMC MLA from the local Sonarpur South seat.
Maitra refuted the charges.
"Several women, who are active BJP workers, were involved in the attack. BJP is trying to project a planned attack as an outburst of dissent by local people," Maitra said.
"Our party always condemns incidents like these but there should be a probe into Kalyan Banerjee's allegation. It also needs to be ascertained whether the demonstrators were TMC supporters, as happened in the Sonarpur incident," said Majumdar.
