- Locals heckled and threw eggs at Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur
- Banerjee was visiting families affected by post-election violence after party's defeat
- Crowds shouted slogans and physically confronted Banerjee amid heavy police presence
Locals heckled and allegedly threw eggs on Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee today when he went to meet party workers who were affected by violence following the party's loss in the assembly election.
The incident happened in South 24 Parganas' Sonarpur. Some Trinamool workers there had alleged they were targeted by political rivals after their loss in the election. The leader was reportedly going to the house of a Trinamool worker who was killed.
The crowds who confronted Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, also raised slogans including "chor, chor" against him.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. Banerjee, in a white shirt and a cricket helmet, walked amid a sea of shouting people as they pushed and grabbed him.
Police personnel wearing protective gear rushed to the scene and escorted out the Trinamool leader.
The BJP has rubbished allegations by Trinamool leaders that the ruling party was behind the incident.
"There is no BJP involvement in the egg-pelting, manhandling incident. People know how Trinamool has governed for the last 15 years in the state. The police and authorities should look over the families affected by post-poll violence. The Trinamool has no moral or political rights to go over to them and make comments..." Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said.
"Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There are no police in the area. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till the local police send their force and offer protection to the victims' families," Banerjee said while meeting the family of the dead Trinamool worker, news agency ANI reported.
Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien condemned the attack.
"A key leader of the second-largest Opposition party went to visit the family of a person murdered by the BJP in post-poll violence. Abhishek Banerjee was lynched and attacked by a few BJP supporters. Life at risk. Where are the police? Why was security withdrawn on the day of counting? Let the Home Minister answer," Derek O'Brien said.
This was not the first instance of a Trinamool leader being assaulted by crowds following their election loss. Two days ago, Trinamool leader and four-time MP from Dum Dum constituency in North 24 Parganas district, Saugata Roy, was heckled by people in his own constituency.
The BJP came to power for the first time in Bengal with a single majority after the assembly elections. It won 208 seats and the Trinamool 80 seats. Mamata Banerjee's party has been fighting unrest and rebellion as one after another leader started criticising their own outfit in public. They alleged the people who gave the election verdict were fed up with institutional corruption and extortion charges.
