TMC Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee was attacked and manhandled on Saturday as he visited Sonarpur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district to meet families affected by post-poll violence. He was attacked and manhandled by BJP workers who were trying to meet the families of people who are displaced by the recent violence.
Banerjee, who comes from Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency and is regarded as the second most powerful Trinamool Congress leader, was targeted by a hostile crowd during his visit, according to reports. Protesters threw stones and eggs at him and even physically hit him at times. Videos from the incident quickly spread on social media as security personnel and supporters tried to protect the TMC leader from the crowd.
Some women were among those protesting against Banerjee, according to witnesses. Protesters shouted slogans and accused him of corruption, some calling him a “thief” before throwing eggs at him. The clash was fast and tense, and it was all over then.
Despite the attack, Banerjee was there and later spoke to the media. He claimed that the attack was planned and politically motivated, and his torn shirt stood before reporters. He directly blamed the BJP for the incident, claiming that the ruling party was trying to intimidate opposition voices through violence.
"This is completely BJP-sponsored. Look at what they have done. This is their idea of democracy," Banerjee said. He further claimed that there were no police personnel at the time of the attack and questioned why law enforcement authorities failed to provide adequate security during his visit.
#WATCH | Sonarpur, West Bengal: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was beaten up by locals during his visit to Sonarpur to meet the post-poll victims' families pic.twitter.com/zkXxLJydqe
— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2026
The TMC leader defended that the entire episode was captured on camera and warned that those responsible would face legal consequences. He said his party would take up the issue with the Governor and raise questions of law and order in the state.
Banerjee was escorted out of the area after the attack by security forces, images from the scene showed. He wore a police helmet for protection as he made his way through the crowd. His shirt was torn in the scuffle to emphasise the ferocity of the fight.
But Banerjee refused to cancel his visit. He later went to meet the family of a victim who was killed in post-poll violence. In a post-meeting statement, he repeated the allegations and said that the attackers wanted to do him great damage.
"Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There was no police presence. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place until the local police protect the affected families," he said.
That has exacerbated the political rivalry between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP in West Bengal, where accusations of political violence have ruled the day. The BJP has not yet provided an instant response to Banerjee's accusations, but it is expected to be swift and strong.
As such, we will probably review video evidence, observe video footage and witness accounts to find out the reason behind the incident and will be able to identify the cause of the attack on the attackers. The incident has once again put political violence and the safety of public representatives back in the spotlight in West Bengal under strain as political violence and the safety of public representatives have become more and more common ground as tensions in some parts of West Bengal continue to rise following the recent elections.
