Abhishek Banerjee alleges BJP attack on residence, claims 7th attempt on life

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters attacked his Kolkata residence, triggering clashes that left several people injured. He claimed it was the seventh attempt on his life in six months, while the BJP accused TMC supporters of provoking the confrontation.

Kolkata: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday alleged that his residence here was attacked by “BJP hooligans” early on Saturday, triggering clashes between supporters of the two parties.

Banerjee, a three-term Diamond Harbour MP, claimed that the attack was part of a conspiracy to kill him, alleging that his office and residence had been under surveillance for two consecutive days before the incident.

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He said several of his supporters were seriously injured in the clashes.

“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 said in a post on X, sharing a video purportedly showing the incident.

The incident reportedly began around 2 am when BJP supporters allegedly raised ‘chor’ (thief) slogans outside Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where workers of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC camp had gathered to celebrate Abhishek’s birthday on Saturday. The slogans were followed by counter-sloganeering, arguments and a confrontation between the two groups, with allegations of assault, stone-pelting and vandalism.

The Diamond Harbour MP, who came out of his residence during the night to meet the injured party workers, alleged that the attackers used sticks fitted with nails and vandalised the party’s local office.

He claimed that four to five of his supporters sustained serious injuries, with one requiring plastic surgery and another suffering a fracture.

Abhishek Banerjee also alleged that police personnel failed to prevent the attack despite being “present at the spot”.

He accused the police and the judiciary of inaction over what he described as repeated attempts on his life, and questioned the safety of an elected MP in the state.

“This is the seventh attempt on my life in the last six months. 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!,” the MP claimed.

He had earlier claimed that unidentified persons conducted reconnaissance of his office and residence for two consecutive days. He had raised the matter on social media and tagged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking attention to the alleged surveillance.

The BJP, however, rejected the allegation and accused TMC supporters of provoking the confrontation.

West Bengal Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh dismissed Abhishek Banerjee’s claims, saying, “When power goes out of hand, such a charge is common.”

The Kolkata Police said a commotion had broken out between supporters of the two parties, prompting a police team to intervene.

An investigation into the incident was underway, a police officer said, without divulging further details.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped around Banerjee’s residence, with gatherings of more than five people not being allowed, he said.

Police sources said several people from both sides were injured in the clashes and the situation remained tense through the night.

The incident comes against the backdrop of the BJP’s victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, which ended the TMC’s 15-year rule.

The BJP, now governing the state, and the opposition party led by former CM Mamata Banerjee have since been locked in a political confrontation, with allegations of violence and intimidation dominating their exchanges.

The clashes outside the residence of Abhishek Banerjee, one of the Mamata Banerjee camp’s most prominent leaders, are likely to intensify the political confrontation between the two parties.