Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: The former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee allegedly came under an attack at Halisahar in the North 24 Parganas district on Sunday when she was travelling to the residence of a deceased Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker who allegedly died in the police custody on Friday.
The incident took place in Bijpur, where a group of protesters gathered around Banerjee’s car, raised “chor” (thief) slogans and allegedly threw shoes, water bottles, bricks, stones and mud at the vehicle, which she claimed could have even killed her. The state BJP has criticised the attack and denied any role in the violence.
Ms Banerjee alleged that bricks were thrown at her vehicle by the ruling BJP supporters and blamed the police for the attack. Ms Banerjee was accompanied by Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen.
Birju Keot, husband of former Trinamool Congress councillor Jenny Sharma Keot, was arrested by Halisahar police on Friday on charges including extortion and corruption. He was presented before a Barrackpore sub-divisional court, which remanded him to five days of police custody. On Saturday, Birju Keot was taken to a state-run hospital from police lock-up, where he was pronounced dead.
“I condemn this. Even after a custodial death, they are threatening the family of the deceased,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that instead of providing security to her, the police allowed “lumpens from outside” to attack her vehicle. The Trinamool Congress chairperson stated that her party would move court over the custodial death.
The former Chief Minister claimed that she had informed the police about the visit to the deceased Trinamool Congress worker’s residence. “This is nothing but a conspiracy. I had informed the police that I would be coming, but despite that, no security measures had been taken. My car has been attacked with stones, shoes and mud,” Ms Banerjee told reporters after meeting the family members of the deceased.
Banerjee later said, “Anti-socials from outside threw stones at my car in front of the police. If my car windows were not closed, it could have split my head open. I could have died. I have never faced such an attack. The police did nothing to protect us. They give protection only to the BJP,” she said.
The TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen, who were accompanying Banerjee, too vented their anger against the administration. “(Chief Minister) Suvendu Adhikari is running the show using the police,” the Lok Sabha MP said.
The protesters, however, alleged that Banerjee had come to “disturb” the peaceful area and raised slogans against her during the demonstration.
The deceased TMC worker had died allegedly after falling ill while in the custody of Halisahar police.
The ruling BJP condemned the alleged attack on Mamata Banerjee’s car and denied any involvement by its workers. The state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the party did not support anyone throwing stones, mud or slippers at the former chief minister’s vehicle. “The Bharatiya Janata Party does not support anyone throwing stones, mud or slippers at the former Chief Minister’s car. No BJP worker is involved in this, and we do not want this kind of treatment of the former woman Chief Minister of the state,” Bhattacharya said.
He added that such incidents could damage the image of West Bengal and said the police would take appropriate action if the allegations were found to be true. “If this happens, it will tarnish the image of West Bengal in the future. We condemn this incident, and if it has happened, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s police force will take immediate action,” he said.
State Minister Agnimitra Paul on the matter said, “Whatever she may have done over the past 14 years, I am a member of this new government team and a supporter of the Chief Minister. Neither I, nor our party, nor our government support violence, misbehaviour, or actions like throwing mud, ink, or shoes. This cannot be part of our culture; this is not BJP culture. Mamata Banerjee may have done many wrong things or made many mistakes, but we can never support such behaviour, especially against a woman and an elderly woman. We do not support it. If someone is doing such things while claiming to be a representative of the BJP, they are wrong.”
The Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the police gave adequate security to the former Chief Minister. “There were no BJP flags and there were no BJP workers. You have indulged in so much theft and so you will have to listen to slogans of ‘thief, thief’,” Mr Adhikari said, referring to the incident as a reflection of the anger of people towards the Trinamool Congress.
The alleged attack on Ms Banerjee’s convoy evoked sharp reactions from her loyalists who held sit-in protests. Leaders from the Opposition parties like former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kerjiwal and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav condemned the attack on the Trinamool Congress chairperson.
“A man dies in police custody. His grieving family awaits answers. Then, when our Hon’ble Chairperson @MamataOfficial goes to meet them, her convoy is brutally attacked. If even a former Chief Minister’s security cannot be guaranteed, what does that say about law and order in Bengal? SHAME ON BJP,” the Trinamool Congress posted on X.
After the Trinamool’s defeat in the recently concluded Assembly polls, there have been several incidents of arrest of party workers. In many cases, people have attacked local leaders of the party. Trinamool Congress leadership has alleged that party workers have been at the receiving end of violence after the BJP came to power.
The police are yet to respond to the custodial death allegations.