A video of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee slapping one of her party workers after a youth wing rally in Kolkata has ignited a fresh political conflict in West Bengal. The incident took place after a protest march organized by the TMC turned into violence against BJP supporters when clashes took place between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in Kolkata when a youth wing rally by TMC took place and there were injuries and police intervened and political tension between the two sides.
Mamata Banerjee, the head of the rally, organized the rally to protest the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Baruipur. The procession, which moved through South Kolkata with permission of the Calcutta High Court, witnessed many clashes between TMC and BJP supporters. The opposition supporters tried to block the march, pushed, jostled and also attacked TMC supporters along the route, TMC leaders said.
Banerjee arrived at her residence in Kalighat after the rally, and confusion was said to have erupted between party workers and security personnel to get the crowd out. Videos on social media seem to show Banerjee turning around and hitting a man who was standing close behind her and telling workers to clear the way for vehicles that were carrying injured leaders and supporters. The video quickly went viral and made national political sense.
The BJP hit back at the TMC chief immediately, claiming that she assaulted one of her party workers. The video was shared by several BJP figures on social media saying it was indicative of Banerjee’s treatment of party members.
But the Trinamool Congress rejected the allegations, arguing that the viral clip was being distorted for political benefit. Senior TMC leaders said that Banerjee had been trying to control an unruly crowd in a tense moment and denied that she slapped any party worker. They said that the video was not representative of the situation in the real world and that BJP used it to incite their political attack. PTI also said that they could not verify the authenticity or context in the viral video.
The clash came in the midst of a chaotic protest. Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel intervened during the march as TMC and BJP supporters clashed near Hazra Crossing to control the violence, according to the report. Security personnel used baton charges to disperse the rival groups as both sides were involved in the violence.
Banerjee later claimed BJP supporters had infiltrated the procession, attacked TMC workers and attacked women participants. She also criticized the police for not intervening and said there was a breakdown of law and order in the demonstration. BJP leaders denied the allegations and claimed the ruling party was trying to divert blame for the unrest.
Mamata Banerjee lost her temperament & slapped her own party worker, while he was trying to control the crowd & make way for her. From her actions we can understand how much frustrated she is. pic.twitter.com/vqx1vWSIpa
— Priyanka Sharma 🇮🇳 (@Priyankabjym) July 8, 2026
The viral video has since become the talking point in political circles and on social media and both supporters and opponents of the incident have given divergent views on the incident. The BJP has seized on the footage to attack Banerjee’s leadership style but the TMC says the controversy has been fueled in the presence of the chaos after the rally.
Neither Mamata Banerjee nor the Trinamool Congress has issued any official statement regarding the viral video, except to reject the opposition’s claims. But the incident only serves to intensify the political tension in West Bengal, where the TMC and BJP are battling each other in the state’s political arena.
