Mamata Banerjee faces ‘thief’ slogans at Calcutta HC

Chaotic scenes erupted at the Calcutta High Court as former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee faced “thief” slogans from a section of lawyers after a hearing on post-poll violence. TMC leaders alleged BJP-backed advocates attempted to heckle her while exiting the court premises

Kolkata: Chaotic scenes unfolded at the Calcutta High Court on Thursday afternoon when former West Bengal chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who was trying to exit the premises following a post-poll violence hearing, faced “thief” slogans from a section of lawyers.

TMC leader and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who accompanied her to court, alleged that lawyers under the influence of the BJP attempted to heckle the former chief minister, and the party’s legal team had a tough time safely escorting her out.

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“The court is not a place to publicly brand someone a thief or a dacoit. We can also say similar things about opposition party leaders. The former CM had gone to the court to argue a petition, and we faced immense difficulty while leaving the place after the hearing got over. “If this can happen to Mamata Banerjee, imagine what’s happening currently with the ordinary workers of the TMC across Bengal,” Kalyan Banerjee said.

The TMC supremo, who was also accompanied by former minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, appeared before the high court to argue a case in connection with alleged post-poll violence and attacks on party offices.

The matter pertains to a public interest litigation filed by advocate Shirshanya Bandyopadhyay on behalf of the TMC, alleging attacks on party offices and violence against its workers, following the announcement of the 2026 assembly poll results.

According to the petitioner, several TMC leaders and workers were allegedly forced to flee their homes after the polls, while many of them were attacked “because of their association with the Trinamool Congress”. The petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court on May 12. The matter came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Parthasarathi Sen.