Abhishek Banerjee Alleges Attempt on Life After Sonarpur Attack; Mamata Banerjee Claims Hospital Refused Treatment Due to ‘Political Pressure’

MP, May 31, 2026, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee was attacked, heckled and pelted with stones, eggs and shoes during a visit to a party worker’s house who was killed in “post-poll violence” in Sonarpur in South 24-Parganas on Saturday, triggering a fresh political confrontation in West Bengal.

The TMC alleged that the assault was a pre-planned attack orchestrated by BJP-backed miscreants, a charge denied by the saffron party.

Meanwhile, after returning to Kolkata, Banerjee was taken to two private hospitals where, Mamata Banerjee alleged, he was refused treatment due to “political pressure”.

The TMC supremo stated: “He had blood clots and severe injuries. He was taken to the ITU initially, but as DC South called and pressured the hospital, they refused to admit him despite being critically injured.”

Abhishek Banerjee had gone to the Vivekanandanagar area under Sonarpur Municipality to meet the family of Sanju Karmakar, a Trinamool worker who was allegedly killed in post-poll violence.

According to police and eyewitnesses, tensions escalated shortly after Banerjee abandoned his SUV and travelled on a motorcycle before finally reaching the residence of the deceased party worker.

On his way, eggs, stones, and shoes were allegedly hurled at the TMC leader. Some from the mob even attempted to physically attack Banerjee by raining blows and kicks on him.

Visuals from the spot telecast by news channels showed security personnel struggling to escort Banerjee through the mob as several people attempted to confront him physically.

As the situation deteriorated, he was seen wearing a police helmet for protection. His shirt was reportedly torn during the scuffle, and his spectacles were damaged before he reached the Karmakar house.

Several people were seen questioning the Trinamool leader and accused the party of failing to protect people during previous incidents of political violence. Some alleged they had been forced to leave their homes following threats from local Trinamool leaders.

Addressing the media from the spot, Abhishek alleged that the attack was a planned attempt on his life and blamed BJP supporters for orchestrating the violence. He also accused the administration of failing to provide adequate security despite prior information about his visit.

“They want to kill me. I am not going to leave this place; I am not going to leave the family till the administration takes action. You can see no official is present here. Everything has been recorded on video. I am drawing the attention of the Governor and the High Court,” he said.

According to a video circulating on social media, an official was purportedly heard saying that requests had been made for additional police personnel to handle the situation, but the required support was not provided. However, the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

Elucidating, Abhishek said that he had instructed those accompanying him to immediately contact officials, send WhatsApp messages and retain screenshots if their calls went unanswered.

Claiming that repeated attempts to reach the administration had failed, he said all evidence of the incident had been documented and that he would pursue legal action.

Describing the attack, Banerjee said: “They threw bricks, eggs, and pelted stones. Please tell me what this is. And all the people standing nearby, the people of the area, and they are still meeting us and still greeting us with love and respect. Go and ask those who are doing hooliganism here. We have all the video evidence. There’s a community hall nearby. From 11 am onwards, goons were kept in that community hall to pelt stones.”

Later in the evening, Banerjee was taken to Apollo Hospital, accompanied by Mamata Banerjee, where she alleged that despite sustaining injuries during the attack, he was denied admission.

After being turned away by Apollo Hospital, he was also allegedly refused admission at Belle Vue Clinic. He was initially taken to the ITU for tests before being released.

The TMC supremo termed the alleged refusal unprecedented and politically motivated.

She stated: “At Apollo, they wanted to take ‘permission’ before admitting him. What permission do you need to treat a patient? Same at the Belle Vue Clinic, he had blood clots and several injury marks on his body. They initially took him to the ITU, acknowledging the severity. I was sitting with the officials and I heard they received threat calls. Finally, when DC South called the authority, they refused Abhishek’s admission.”

She added: “Abhishek is returning home. I’ll arrange the necessary medical care there with the help of our house physician.”

Later, sharing photographs of a woman attacking Abhishek Banerjee, TMC wrote on social media: “Sushmita Dutta, a @BJP4Bengal worker, was seen in multiple videos ATTACKING Shri @abhishekaitc ! She shares several pictures with BJP leaders @paulagnimitra1 & @SuvenduWB, among others. So did THEY INSTRUCT HER TO TAKE UP SUCH VIOLENT ACTS? Or did they promise to protect her regardless of her HEINOUS & INHUMANE ACTIONS? Is this the democracy BJP workers understand? Is this what politics have come down to in our country?”

Meanwhile, the BJP denied involvement in the attack and said the matter should be investigated.

Millennium Post