In the aftermath of Bengal's post-poll violence, a Trinamool Congress leader's visit to grieving families in Sonarpur ended in a mob's assault, and now the questions that follow carry more weight than the blows themselves: who sent the crowd, how badly the body was hurt, and whether the care it received was shaped by someone's instructions. Kunal Ghosh stood before reporters in Kolkata on Saturday to voice his party's fears, while Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour MP, spoke of an attempt on his life and of seeking justice in the courts. The accusations remain the party's own, unverified,
TMC Alleges Hospitals Downplayed Abhishek Banerjee's Injuries After Sonarpur Mob Attack
Abhishek Banerjee was hit by a mob, hit with eggs and stones, and reported badly injured, according to his party, during a visit to post-poll violence victims.
"They wanted to kill me. The entire incident has been recorded on camera."
Mark
Start with the basic event. What actually happened in Sonarpur?
Mimi
Abhishek Banerjee, a TMC MP and general secretary, went to meet families hit by post-poll violence. A mob attacked him. Video shows men hitting him, eggs and stones being thrown, and him in a helmet.
Mark
And the new claim on Saturday?
Mimi
Kunal Ghosh said hospitals were being instructed to present Banerjee's condition lightly, and that treatment at an earlier hospital was delayed.
Luke
Worth being clear: that is one party official's allegation. Nothing in the reporting confirms any instruction was given, or by whom.
Mark
Ghosh did say they weren't blaming any hospital, though.
Mimi
Right. He pointed at unnamed instructions rather than at the institutions, which is a careful distinction, but also a vague one.
Luke
Vague enough that it can't be checked. No hospital is named, and we have no medical report on the injuries. "Badly injured" is also Ghosh's description.
Mark
What does the video establish?
Mimi
That an assault occurred and that security and journalists tried to protect him. It doesn't tell us who organised it.
Luke
Which is where the dispute sits. TMC blames the BJP; Samik Bhattacharya denies involvement and points to public anger. Neither side has offered evidence in this report.
Mark
And what's next?
Mimi
Banerjee says he'll go to the High Court and the Governor. That's where claims may finally get tested.
Il Polso
- A mob descended on Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur while he was visiting families hurt by post-poll violence, and the assault was captured on video that has spread widely online.
- Eggs and stones flew as his security staff and even some mediapersons pushed to shield him, and the footage shows the men striking him.
- The TMC says he is not receiving proper treatment and that hospitals were told to make his injuries look minor, claims that remain unverified and name no hospital.
- The TMC blames the BJP for orchestrating the attack, while the BJP rejects this and suggests public anger toward the TMC explains the violence.
- Banerjee has vowed to move the High Court and approach the Governor, so the legal and political fight is only beginning.
In the aftermath of Bengal's post-poll violence, a Trinamool Congress leader's visit to grieving families in Sonarpur ended in a mob's assault, and now the questions that follow carry more weight than the blows themselves: who sent the crowd, how badly the body was hurt, and whether the care it received was shaped by someone's instructions. Kunal Ghosh stood before reporters in Kolkata on Saturday to voice his party's fears, while Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour MP, spoke of an attempt on his life and of seeking justice in the courts. The accusations remain the party's own, unverified, and the BJP denies any hand in it, pointing instead to public anger against the TMC.
On Saturday in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh told reporters that his party's general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, was not getting proper treatment after a mob attacked him. Ghosh alleged that hospitals had been told to downplay how serious the injuries were, and he said the party was not blaming any hospital by name.
Banerjee, the MP for Diamond Harbour, had travelled to Sonarpur to meet families affected by post-poll violence when a group of men set upon him. A widely shared video shows the men hitting him while his security personnel and some mediapersons tried to protect him. The mob threw eggs and stones, and Banerjee was wearing a helmet.
Ghosh said the injuries were serious and that a long delay at the first hospital had left Banerjee without proper care. None of these claims has been verified: the report names no hospital, no official, and offers no medical assessment beyond the party's own words.
Banerjee said there had been an attempt to kill him, noting the whole episode was on camera. He said he would approach the High Court and the Governor. The TMC accuses the BJP of orchestrating the attack, which the BJP's state president, Samik Bhattacharya, firmly denies, suggesting instead that public anger against the TMC was the cause. The coming days will show whether Banerjee takes his legal case forward and whether any hospital responds to the allegation.
On Saturday, in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh stood before reporters and made a claim about what happened to his party's general secretary after he was attacked by a mob: that Abhishek Banerjee was not getting proper treatment, and that hospitals had been told to play down how bad things were.
Banerjee, an MP who represents Diamond Harbour, had gone to Sonarpur in West Bengal to meet families affected by post-poll violence. There he was set upon by a group of men. A video of the attack has spread widely on social media. It shows the men hitting him even as his security personnel tried to shield him, and some mediapersons can also be seen trying to protect him. The mob threw eggs and stones at him. Banerjee, described in the report as one of the tallest Opposition leaders in the country, was wearing a helmet.
Ghosh told reporters the attack was very serious and that Banerjee was badly injured. His comments focused on how the injuries were being handled. He said the party was not blaming any hospital, but that wherever Banerjee went, the same thing was happening: instructions were being given. At the earlier hospital, he said, a great deal of time passed without proper treatment. The same instructions, he alleged, were then followed again, so that the situation would be presented lightly and not shown as serious.
That account comes from the party alone. The report does not name the hospitals involved, does not say who is supposed to have issued such instructions, and offers no medical assessment of Banerjee's condition beyond what Ghosh said. The injury claims and the allegation about hospital conduct are both unverified.
Banerjee himself spoke to reporters after the incident. He said there had been an attempt to kill him. The whole episode, he noted, had been recorded on camera. He said he would inform the High Court and put the matter before the Governor, adding that he would definitely move court.
The TMC has accused the BJP of orchestrating the attack. The BJP has rejected that. Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said his party had no involvement. He suggested instead that public anger against the TMC could explain what happened.
So the dispute now runs on several tracks: who was behind the assault, how seriously Banerjee was hurt, and whether hospitals shaded the picture. What to watch is whether Banerjee follows through on his stated plan to approach the High Court and the Governor, and whether any hospital or official responds to Ghosh's allegation.
Citazioni salienti
They wanted to kill me. The entire incident has been recorded on camera. We will inform the High Court and also place the matter before the Governor.— Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP
We are not blaming any hospital, but wherever he goes, the same thing is happening. Instructions are being given.— Kunal Ghosh, TMC leader
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