Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her nephew and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee developed “blood clots” in his chest following an alleged attack in Sonarpur, West Bengal.
She further said he could have died if someone had not placed a helmet on his head during the incident, reports NDTV.
The alleged attack took place on Saturday evening when locals heckled Abhishek Banerjee and threw eggs at him as he visited party workers in Sonarpur, in South 24 Parganas district. The workers had reportedly been affected by violence after the party’s defeat in the assembly election.
Witnesses said crowds confronted Abhishek Banerjee, raising slogans such as “chor, chor”, while surrounding him in large numbers. Videos from the scene showed him wearing a white shirt and a cricket helmet as he moved through a dense crowd that shouted at him, pushed forward, and attempted to grab him.
Mamata Banerjee said she had been informed of serious injuries sustained by her nephew. “I have been informed that had a helmet not been placed on his head at the crucial moment, the consequences could have been fatal,” she said, adding that he suffered injuries to his chest and rib area after stones were allegedly thrown and he was physically assaulted.
She also criticised the medical response after Abhishek Banerjee began complaining of pain in his neck, back, and waist. He was first taken to a private hospital along EM Bypass, where he was brought into the emergency department for treatment.
He was later shifted to another private hospital in the city after Mamata Banerjee, who visited him there, alleged that “no treatment is happening here”.
She questioned the handling of his admission and treatment, saying, “If there was genuinely no need for hospitalisation, why was he first taken to the ITU, kept under observation for nearly two hours, and advised to undergo multiple medical tests and scans?
The doctors who examined him observed multiple injuries and advised urgent medical investigations. According to the medical assessment, he sustained multiple blunt injuries to the face, back, chest, and neck,” she said.
Mamata further alleged that external pressure was being exerted on medical institutions. She claimed there was “pressure from above” on hospitals regarding the treatment of her nephew.
“The most disturbing aspect of today’s developments is the allegation that pressure was exerted on doctors and hospital authorities regarding the treatment of an injured patient,” she said, stressing that decisions on admission, discharge, and treatment should rest solely with medical professionals.
She added, “Politics should be fought politically. The answer to political differences cannot be violence, intimidation, weapons, or fear.”
Mamata Banerjee also said the party had decided to continue Abhishek Banerjee’s treatment under the supervision of trusted doctors and family physicians.
Raising questions over law and order, she said police had prior knowledge of the visit. “The police had prior information regarding the visit of Abhishek; despite that, questions remain regarding security arrangements,” she said, while also alleging that outsiders had been brought in to trigger violence.
Abhishek Banerjee, meanwhile, blamed the newly elected BJP government in the state for the incident.
“It’s all BJP-sponsored. Look what they have done. This is their example of democracy. It hasn’t even been a month, and the police are nowhere to be seen,” he said.
He further alleged that political opponents “want to kill” him.
Several Trinamool Congress leaders also claimed that party members were targeted by political rivals following their defeat in the election.
Police have so far arrested five people in connection with the incident.
Responding to the allegations, BJP leader Keya Ghosh dismissed the claims made by Trinamool leaders and described the attack on Abhishek Banerjee as a consequence of past actions.
“For the past 15 years, people in West Bengal have witnessed various atrocities in the era of the Trinamool government. Today, they are getting the return gift. Do you know what karma is? You will get what you have done,” she said.
