Abhishek Banerjee Questioned Over ‘Gujarati Gang’ Remark, Faces Fresh FIR

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by Kolkata Police for around four hours on Saturday over remarks he made on May 2, two days before the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared. He was summoned to Bhowanipore police station in connection with a case registered against him in May.

The questioning centred on a post Banerjee shared on X on May 2, which later became the subject of a complaint filed on May 27. A fresh FIR was also registered against him at Girish Park police station on Friday over his remarks about the state police.

May 2 X Post

On May 2, BJP leader Amit Malviya posted, “The Diamond Harbour model crumbles.” Banerjee, who represents Diamond Harbour in the Lok Sabha, responded with a sharply worded post targeting the BJP and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Banerjee wrote: “Ten lifetimes won’t be enough for you Bangla birdohi Gujarati gang and their stooge Gyanesh Kumar to put even a dent in my Diamond Harbour model. Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India – Come to Falta. Send your strongest, send one of the godfathers from Delhi. If you have got the nerve contest in Falta.”

The complaint against him was subsequently filed over this exchange. Falta was in focus at the time as the Election Commission of India (ECI) had yet to decide whether repolling was required there.

Poll-Day Context

Banerjee's post came amid repolling in parts of South 24 Parganas.

On May 2, the ECI conducted repolling at 15 polling stations across the Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. The commission had also said that a decision on repolling in Falta was still pending.

Banerjee's challenge to his political opponents to come to Falta came against this backdrop. The Assembly election results were declared on May 4.

Complaint And FIRs

Arnabkanti Biswas, who filed the complaint, said, “He not only insulted the Gujarati community but also challenged the Union of India. That's why I lodged a complaint against him.”

The complaint was filed on May 27 over Banerjee's May 2 post on X.

After Saturday's questioning, Banerjee said he was cooperating with the investigation and would continue to do so.

“The investigating agencies are doing their job. I haven't neither fled nor did I skip summons despite being harassed with false complaints. I am cooperating and will do so in future also. I have faced the ED (Directorate of Enforcement), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and police earlier too. I will continue to call the BJP Bangla-birodhi (anti-Bengal),” Banerjee told reporters after leaving the police station.

Meanwhile, a separate FIR was registered against him at Girish Park police station on Friday over remarks he made against the state police.

Speaking to the media on October 29, Banerjee had said he was maintaining a list of police officers allegedly acting on the instructions of BJP leaders. He added that none of them would be spared once the regime changed.

Banerjee has faced several FIRs since the BJP came to power in West Bengal in May after winning the Assembly elections.

Reacting to the developments, BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said: “The people of Bengal know who is the real Bangla-birodhi and who has destroyed democracy in Bengal. He has a tendency to make statements that are anti-Constitutional. He has perhaps forgotten that his aunt (read former chief minister Mamata Banerjee) doesn’t run the government anymore. He won’t get any political immunity.”