Abhishek alleges attack on Kolkata home day after fiery remarks on SC, ECI
TMC MP claims BJP supporters targeted his Kalighat residence; ruling party dismisses allegation
Abhishek Banerjee alleges BJP supporters attacked his Kalighat residence around 2.00 am.
Charge follows his attack on the Supreme Court and ECI over the Bengal election outcome.
Kolkata Police confirms a confrontation between TMC and BJP supporters; several people reportedly detained.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee has alleged that his Kalighat residence in south Kolkata was attacked by 'BJP hooligans' in the early hours of Saturday, 7 November, hours after he launched a scathing attack on the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the party's defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The allegations have triggered a fresh political confrontation between the TMC and the BJP, coming amid heightened tensions following Banerjee's extraordinary remarks on Friday, when he declared that his party had lost the Bengal elections to the Supreme Court rather than the BJP.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the conduct of the elections, Banerjee accused the Supreme Court of failing to ensure that its directions were implemented by the ECI. He specifically alleged that the Commission had disregarded the court's directions on the disposal of voter claims and the randomisation of counting processes.
"We lost the Bengal elections to the Supreme Court of India, not to the BJP, because we took a leap of faith on the highest court of the country," he had said. He also questioned the court's inaction despite a contempt petition being filed over the alleged non-compliance with its directions.
The following night, Banerjee alleged that his residence had been targeted around 2.00 am, claiming that the accused had conducted reconnaissance of his office and home for two consecutive days before the incident.
In a post on X, the TMC MP shared a video purportedly showing the confrontation and accused BJP supporters of attacking his residence.
'After two days of continuous recce, this is how BJP hooligans attacked my house at 2 am today. Watch the footage and see for yourself. If this is what can happen to an elected Member of Parliament, imagine the plight of the common man in WB,' Banerjee wrote.
He subsequently claimed that the incident marked the seventh attempt on his life in the past six months and accused the police and judiciary of failing to act despite repeated attacks.
'Yet, there has been no police action and no judicial intervention. Hooligans are running riot across the state because the judiciary continues to turn a blind eye. Thank you, Milords, for remaining mute spectators!' he said.
The latest allegations followed an earlier post on Friday in which Banerjee claimed that unidentified individuals had been conducting reconnaissance of his office and residence for two days. He alleged that when confronted, the individuals had identified themselves as police personnel.
Questioning the alleged surveillance, he sought the intervention of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Union home ministry, Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police, demanding an investigation to establish the identity of those involved and who had authorised the exercise.
What happened outside Banerjee's residence?
According to reports, the immediate confrontation began when BJP supporters allegedly raised 'chor' (thief) slogans outside Banerjee's Kalighat residence, triggering counter-sloganeering and a confrontation with TMC supporters gathered there.
The incident coincided with Banerjee's birthday on Saturday, with party supporters reportedly assembling outside his residence for the occasion. Local residents said the confrontation escalated into a commotion between the two groups, with allegations of assault and stone-pelting. Banerjee separately alleged that BJP supporters had assaulted TMC workers and hurled stones and bricks at them.
He claimed that several of his supporters sustained serious injuries. One worker, he said, had suffered such extensive damage near the thumb that doctors recommended plastic surgery, while another sustained a fracture to the bone near the eye.
Kolkata Police confirmed that a commotion had broken out between the two groups, prompting a police team to intervene. Police sources said several people were detained following the disturbances, though the affiliations of those involved were not immediately established. An investigation is under way, a police officer said.
West Bengal panchayats and rural development minister Dilip Ghosh dismissed Banerjee's allegations, saying that "when power goes out of hand, such a charge is common".
The BJP also questioned the TMC MP's version of events, with party leaders describing the incident as political drama and accusing him of attempting to mislead the public.
With PTI inputs