TMC-BJP Row Escalates Following Alleged Attack at Abhishek Residence

Political tension surges in West Bengal following an alleged attack on TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's residence, leading to intense confrontations between TMC and BJP leaders amid the festive season of Kali Puja and Diwali.

Political Standoff in West Bengal

A midnight “recce”, an alleged attack at 2 am, a birthday celebration disrupted before the cake could be cut, and a political confrontation that has moved from the lanes of Kalighat to the corridors of Delhi. The alleged attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s residence has triggered a sharp face-off between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, drawing reactions from Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), with the row unfolding on the eve of Kali Puja and Diwali.

It began on Friday, when Abhishek Banerjee alleged that unidentified persons had been conducting reconnaissance of his office and residence for two days. “When confronted, they claimed to be police personnel,” he said on X, asking, “Why is the State Police allegedly spying on and snooping around the office and residence of an elected Member of Parliament? Who authorised this surveillance and for what purpose?” He tagged the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Kolkata Police and the Union Home Ministry, demanding “an immediate and thorough inquiry to establish the identity of these individuals, who sent them and to uncover the nefarious motive behind this suspected conspiracy.”

Allegations and Incident Details

Hours later, he claimed the threat had turned real. “After I released the recce video this morning, my house was attacked just now, at 2 AM by BJP goons, right under the watch of the Kolkata police,” he said in a post on X on Saturday. Turning his guns on the judiciary, he added, “Thank you, Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India, for remaining mute spectators while all this unfolds.” He claimed it was the seventh attempt on his life in six months.

According to police and party reports, clashes broke out between TMC workers gathering to celebrate his 39th birthday and BJP supporters between 2 am and 3:30 am. At least eight people were reportedly injured, three seriously. A large police contingent sealed off the area, and several people were detained. Banerjee also posted a video, claiming it showed “a BJP goon brazenly slapping a police officer in plain clothes.” “This is the BJP’s model of governance in West Bengal, where hooliganism rules and even police officers are not spared,” he said.

Abhishek Banerjee later said the siege dragged on much longer. Abhishek also addressed supporters during the political mobilisation that followed the incident, asserting that intimidation would not weaken the party. “The attack continued till 7 am. Although the police were there, some of them acted as silent spectators, and others who tried to stop the BJP goons were beaten up by them,” he said. “The police who can’t protect themselves cannot protect the common people anyway," he added.

"You can demolish my home. You can vandalise my office. You can frame me with false cases. You can do whatever you like... But the courage, human spirit, and conscience that I was born with—you can never take that away, nor will I ever be frightened by you," he said. Addressing supporters amid chants of “Joy Bangla”, Banerjee struck a combative note. “My unambiguous message is: not a single Trinamool Congress worker or supporter will ever compromise their spine or bend the knee!”

Political Reactions

The incident prompted Mamata Banerjee to join Abhishek in a protest in Kalighat. She reached the Kalighat residence later in the morning and staged a protest with her nephew. She accused the BJP of “hooliganism” and alleged that a “gang of thugs” had also attacked a Kali Puja celebration in the area. She said she had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker over a breakdown of law and order.

“Tomorrow is Kali Puja and Diwali. Last night, at 2:00 AM, an attack was carried out at Abhishek Banerjee’s house. This is our locality, a route through which many processions of Goddess Kali pass. Why are you causing such a disturbance? You have revoked permissions for our traditional, long-standing pujas while allowing new ones to be held instead,” she said.

BJP Counter-Arguments

The BJP’s counter was swift, sharp and laced with sarcasm. West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh dismissed the claims as an attempt to “mislead people.” “This is the first time we’ve seen a politician’s birthday being celebrated on the footpath. If someone creates a disturbance, there is bound to be a backlash. Besides, who has the time to kill Abhishek Banerjee? There is nothing left for them to say or do, so they are attempting to mislead people by bringing up this issue,” he said.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also blamed the TMC's decision to hold birthday celebrations on a public road, arguing that such gatherings could trigger confrontation. “There is no issue with celebrating a birthday, but celebrate it inside your house. Rent the Calcutta Club, rent Victoria Memorial, rent the Brigade Parade Ground, who is stopping you? But if you block public roads in front of your house and hold a birthday celebration on the footpath, naturally people will get angry. The public is already upset with you; on top of that, if you behave like this, confrontations are bound to happen,” he said.

Other than the BJP and the TMC, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the right to celebrate one’s birthday cannot be snatched from anyone. “We may have differences or enmity with someone, or someone might not like us, but if the right to celebrate one’s own birthday is snatched away, then this merely reflects the dire state Bengal is in. The worsening conditions in Bengal are evident from the fact that people are being attacked even on their birthdays,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)