Abhishek alleges attempt on his life at Kalighat on the eve of Kali puja

PABITRA BANERJEE : Political tensions in West Bengal intensified on Saturday after Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters attacked his residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat area. According to Banerjee, the incident took place at around 2 AM on Saturday, when party workers and supporters had gathered outside his residence. The situation rapidly escalated into violent clashes following a heated confrontation between supporters of the two political parties. The TMC leader claimed that the incident was the seventh attempt on his life in the past six months, alleging that a group of individuals carried out a continuous reconnaissance for two days before launching the night attack with stones and bamboo sticks. Sharing CCTV footage of the incident on social media, Banerjee questioned state law and order, writing: “If this is what can happen to an elected Member of Parliament, imagine the plight of the common man in West Bengal”. According to Banerjee, several party workers sustained injuries during the confrontation. He specifically referred to injuries suffered by two key supporters. One worker, identified as Tapas, allegedly suffered a serious hand injury that required emergency plastic surgery, while another worker reportedly sustained a severe facial fracture below the eye.Banerjee also questioned the role of the police, alleging that personnel were present at the location but failed to take effective steps to prevent the violence or arrest the perpetrators. He further hit out at judicial inaction, claiming that “hooligans are running riot across the state because the judiciary continues to turn a blind eye”. The BJP, however, rejected the allegations, accusing TMC workers of provoking the confrontation, while Kolkata Police confirmed that a formal investigation into the violence is underway.