Black flags waived, called ‘thief’: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee claims BJP supporters attacked him outside police station

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged that he sustained head injuries after being attacked by a crowd outside a police station in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Sunday. He had gone there to submit a memorandum protesting the arrest of party workers following the Assembly elections.

Tensions flared outside the Chanditala police station when a group of protesters greeted Kalyan Banerjee, the MP from Sreerampore in Hooghly district, with black flags and chanted "thief" slogans against him and other members of the TMC delegation, according to PTI.

He was later seen pressing a cloth against the back of his head. Kalyan Banerjee claimed that BJP supporters were behind the incident.

"All this happened in front of the police. I was hit on my head, and I am bleeding," he said.

The Lok Sabha MP staged a sit-in protest, accusing the police of failing to take appropriate action. He also maintained that the TMC would continue demonstrating against what it described as “BJP-backed attacks.”

To prevent the situation from worsening, a heavy deployment of police personnel and central security forces was made in the area.

Rejecting the allegations, the BJP argued that the protests reflected growing public resentment toward TMC leaders across West Bengal.

Abhishek on Sunday mentioned that the attack on him in Sonarpur is "political violence and state-sponsored terrorism" by BJP. While thanking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his support, he said, “Thank you, Rahul ji, for your concern and constant support. We stand united and resolute in our fight to protect the soul of India, defend its democratic institutions and uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution.”

Banerjee further alleged that political opponents were being singled out and targeted for questioning the ruling party. He claimed that those who supported the government were praised and regarded as patriots, while critics faced harassment and attempts to silence them.

He also asserted that he would rather endure intimidation in the fight to protect democratic values than compromise his principles for personal comfort. Emphasising that political power is temporary but the people's mandate is enduring, Banerjee said that his allegiance was to the people and not to those in authority.

"The attack on MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur is utterly reprehensible. An attack on a Member of Parliament is not merely an assault on one individual--it is an assault on the very people who elected him, and on the democracy that is our shared legacy," Gandhi wrote on X.

"This is the ugly face of the BJP's politics of revenge. Political differences can never justify violence," he added.

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha also sought action from the government, stating, "The central government and the West Bengal government--both must take immediate action against the perpetrators, and ensure that no public representative, regardless of their party, ever has to worry about their safety."

"Abhishek, my thoughts are with you and your family. Wishing you a speedy recovery," Gandhi said.