Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that on Sunday she was assaulted with stones and bricks in North 24 Parganas’ Halisahar during a protest. The Trinamool Congress chief was visiting the family of Birju Keot, who was allegedly beaten to death by the police.
Unidentified protestors surrounded her vehicle, hurling rocks and stones at her in her car, Banerjee said. Past participants of the protest on the same day also allegedly dropped mud on the vehicle and pelted shoes and water bottles, and shouted slogans against her. As fighting intensified, the police were spotted trying to shove protesters out of the way.
Speaking to the reporters after the incident, Banerjee said that serious injuries to her were possible and perhaps even a death, had the windows of the vehicle not been shut.
The police did not provide sufficient security,” Banerjee alleged in his statement, saying “Anti-socials from outside threw stones at my car in front of the police. She has never been attacked like this before, she said.
Her accompanied MP Lok Sabha Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen also lashed out at the administration over the incident.
The BJP condemned the alleged attack and has not taken any responsibility. Allays to the violence, BJP president of West Bengal Samik Bhattacharya told the police to identify and act against the culprits intruding in the party.
The attack has been registered months after Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly attacked in his Trinamool stronghold in West Bengal after the party lost out in Assembly polls.