Protests Erupt During Abhishek Banerjee Visit in South 24 Parganas; BJP Denies Role

Kolkata: Tensions escalated during Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's visit to an area in South 24 Parganas as a group of local women staged protests and questioned his presence.

One of the protesting women alleged that the person Banerjee had come to visit was also involved in wrongdoing.

“Why has he come here? The person whose house he has come to visit is also a thief. It is like a thief visiting another thief,” one of the protesting women alleged.

Another protester questioned Banerjee's response to issues concerning women's safety and referred to the Nirbhaya case.

“Where was he (Abhishek) when the Nirbhaya incident happened? How many times had he gone to meet the parents of Nirbhaya? We want an answer from him,” another protesting woman questioned.

BJP Distances Itself From Incident

Meanwhile, BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya said the incident could be the result of public anger among locals who had allegedly faced years of hardship and political victimisation.

“The BJP is not involved in such activities. What has happened is not expected in a democracy,” Bhattacharya told reporters.

Responding to questions regarding the absence of police personnel at the site during the protest, Bhattacharya said the matter fell under the administration's jurisdiction.

“I will not be able to say why police were not there; it is a matter of the administration. I am from the party. What the TMC has done to our party workers all these years cannot be described. We still remember what they did to Rupa Ganguly, to our leaders in South 24 Parganas district. Today, because we are restrained, that is why the TMC is still there,” he added.

Security Forces Deployed

As tensions mounted, a large contingent of central forces along with personnel from Sonarpur police station arrived at the location to restore order.

According to a senior police officer, security personnel subsequently brought the situation under control and escorted Banerjee away from the area.

The incident has added to the political tensions in West Bengal, with competing narratives emerging from the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP over the circumstances surrounding the protest.