TMC claims BJP behind attacks on Abhishek, Kalyan Banerjee, plans protest

TRinamool u.s. Congress (TMC) lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee claimed that he sustained a head up hurt in an alleged assail by Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) workers in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Sunday, a day after party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly assaulted in Sonarpur.“Look how they have attacked me in front of the police. Yesterday they tried to murder Abhishek and today they tried to murder me,” Kalyan Banerjee, who is also a lawyer, said after the alleged attack. He protested near the Chanditala police station.Meanwhile, police arrested five people and detained two more on Sunday for allegedly heckling and manhandling Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, officers said. Police also registered a suo motu case after the incident, which the TMC claimed was an attempt to murder the Diamond Harbour MP.Abhishek was attacked on his way to the house of a party worker allegedly killed in post-poll violence at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district.Kalyan Banerjee said he was going to the Chanditala police station in Hooghly district to submit a memorandum regarding the post-poll violence on Sunday. A large police contingent was present at the spot as a group of BJP workers had assembled there with black flags. They shouted slogans of “chor” (thief) on seeing him. He alleged that he was attacked near the Chanditala police station.Police said Kalyan Banerjee did not register an official complaint nor visit a hospital after the alleged attack. Instead, he sat on a dharna. “There was a huge police deployment when he raised the allegation and lay on the ground, holding his head. He said he was bleeding. We urged him to register a complaint since the entire incident, right from his arrival at the spot, had been videographed,” an officer said, requesting anonymity.The TMC alleged that West Bengal was witnessing complete lawlessness after its defeat to BJP in the assembly polls.“Less than 24 hours after the attack on @abhishekaitc yesterday, Shri @KBanerjee_AITC was attacked today while on his way to submit a deputation at Chanditala Police Station. He sustained injury at the hands of BJP-backed miscreants. How were these hooligans allowed to gather outside the police station? How could brick-batting take place in the presence of the police? It has been 26 days since the election results were declared, yet post-poll violence continues unabated. COMPLETE LAWLESSNESS! DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK!,” TMC said in a post on X.Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said party chief Mamata Banerjee will hold a protest on June 2 on Rani Rashmoni Road. “Post-poll violence is going on right now. Mamata Banerjee will cover all the issues and lead our protest on Tuesday,” he said.Union minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told reporters after the arrests in the Sonarpur incident that the accused were identified as TMC workers. “We have come to know that the accused are TMC workers and known to be close to Lovely Maitra. Let the police investigate,” Majumdar said, referring to the former TMC MLA from the Sonarpur South seat.Maitra, however, refuted the charge. “Several women, who are active BJP workers, were involved in the attack. BJP is trying to project a planned attack as an outburst of dissent by local people,” Maitra said.