Mamata protests alleged attack on Abhishek
KOLKATA A severe political crisis has erupted in West Bengal following an alleged violent attack at the south Kolkata residence of senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee during the early hours of Saturday. Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally joined protest demonstrations after an alleged mob assault targeted her nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat residence around 2:00 AM on Saturday. According to police reports and accounts from party insiders, the high-voltage clashes erupted between TMC workers who had gathered to celebrate Abhishek Banerjee’s 39 birthday and opposing political supporters between 2:00 AM and 3:30 AM. The violent overnight confrontation left at least eight individuals injured, three of them seriously, prompting the deployment of a large police contingent to seal off the surrounding neighborhood and detain several suspects. Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack against political rivals, alleging that his home and office were targeted by a coordinated group of "BJP goons" following two days of systematic reconnaissance. Claiming that this represented the seventh attempt on his life over the past six months, he openly criticized both the Kolkata Police administration and judicial authorities for alleged inaction. Arriving at the Kalighat residence later that morning, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating unchecked "hooliganism" and deliberately disrupting traditional Kali Puja and Diwali festival preparations. Addressing reporters and charged party supporters, Banerjee questioned the timing and legality of the provocation, pointing out that the affected area is a sacred traditional route for major processions of Goddess Kali. She alleged that local administrative decisions had unfairly revoked permissions for long-standing traditional community pujas while selectively permitting new setups directly along main road bends to obstruct access. Furthermore, the TMC chief linked the midnight aggression to broader national political tensions, suggesting that the state administration is being targeted because of the party's prominent role in the opposition 'INDIA' alliance. She condemned the nocturnal disturbances and challenged political opponents directly, stating that any attempts to intimidate regional leadership through nocturnal thuggery or administrative pressure would face fierce political resistance. As police maintain a heavy security cordon around the neighborhood and investigations into the overnight detentions continue, the explosive incident has severely escalated political friction across the state ahead of the festive season.
