Eggs, stones thrown at Abhishek Banerjee by protesters in Sonarpur; TMC leader blames BJP

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee faced angry protests and was allegedly manhandled by locals during a visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, where he had gone to meet families affected by post-poll violence.

According to police, Banerjee's convoy came under attack as protesters hurled stones and eggs at the TMC leader.

Visuals from the area showed a tense atmosphere, with a group of women confronting Banerjee, calling him a "thief" and demanding answers over the political violence that followed recent elections.


The Diamond Harbour MP was visiting the family of a TMC worker who was reportedly killed in post-poll clashes when the protests erupted. Police said agitating locals surrounded Banerjee and allegedly pushed and jostled him amid the commotion.


Reacting to the incident, the TMC leader accused the BJP of orchestrating the protests. "It's all BJP-sponsored. Look what they have done. This is their example of democracy. It hasn't even been a month, and the police are nowhere to be seen," he told reporters.

".They wanted to kill me...The whole incident has been captured on camera. We will definitely let the high court know about this. We will also let the governor know about this... I will definitely move to court," he added.

The confrontation comes amid an intensifying political battle in the state over allegations of post-poll violence. Banerjee, who has recently been in the spotlight over a CID summons and an FIR, also struck a defiant note, saying attempts to intimidate him would fail.


"Even if you slit my throat, you will have to take seven births to cower me down," the TMC leader said, signalling that he would continue his political campaign despite mounting pressure.

CID summons in forged signature probe

Earlier in the day, the West Bengal CID served a notice to Banerjee, asking him to appear before investigators at its Bhabani Bhavan headquarters in Kolkata on Monday in connection with a probe into the alleged use of forged signatures of TMC legislators in a communication submitted to the Assembly Secretariat.

According to PTI's CID sources, the notice relates to a letter backing senior TMC leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of the Opposition. Investigators are examining allegations that signatures of some party MLAs on the document did not match official records.

The summons was served after a nearly 90-minute effort by a five-member CID team. Officers first reached Banerjee's Harish Mukherjee Road residence but were unable to meet him. They later proceeded to his adjacent Kalighat Road residence, where the notice was eventually handed over to the TMC MP, who acknowledged receipt.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Banerjee said he would examine the notice and consult his legal team before responding. "I will surely cooperate with the probe in whatever manner possible," he said.