Mamata Banerjee Slams Attack on Abhishek Banerjee in West Bengal

Locals and a mob attacked Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in the Sonarpur town of South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, according to the Press Trust of India. The assault occurred while Banerjee was visiting the families of post-poll violence victims.

The mob hurled stones, shoes and eggs at the parliamentarian. Assailants attempted blows and kicks while chanting "thief, thief," PTI reported. Local women armed with broomsticks and bamboo sticks gathered outside the TMC worker's house and raised slogans against the MP, questioning the purpose of his visit.

Banerjee escaped the violence wearing a cricket helmet, helped by his aides, with his shirt torn during the commotion. "Look what they have done to me. This was pre-planned. There is no police in the area. They want to kill me. I will not leave this place till police send their force and offer protection to the victims' families," Banerjee said to PTI while meeting the kin of a post-poll violence victim. Banerjee said BJP activists were trying to kill him.

BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya told PTI that the incident could be the outcome of the anger of locals who were "tortured" over the years. The incident has triggered a political storm, drawing widespread condemnation and raising serious questions about medical protocols and security arrangements.

Medical Treatment and Injuries

Following the incident, Banerjee was taken to a private hospital complaining of neck, back and waist pain. Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was present at the hospital ward. Abhishek remained under medical supervision from around 8:15 p.m. till nearly 11 p.m. before being discharged, PTI reported. Doctors deemed a thorough assessment of his injuries essential because he has a pre-existing eye-related medical condition.

Addressing reporters here on Saturday night, Mamata Banerjee questioned the subsequent handling of his care. She said an elected public representative had been assaulted and subsequently faced uncertainty over medical care.

 "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?" she asked PTI. She said that if the doctors had considered treatment and observation necessary, no external authority should have interfered with that decision.

She noted the severity of the assault. "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 told PTI.  

She added that doctors advised X-rays and scans to rule out fractures, internal bleeding and other complications, including possible injury to internal organs. She said Abhishek suffered injuries to his chest and rib area due to stone-pelting and physical assault.

She expressed relief over his narrow escape. "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 told PTI. 

 She also alleged external interference in his healthcare. "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 told PTI, asserting that decisions on admission, discharge and treatment should rest solely with medical professionals. 

Banerjee said her party had decided to continue Abhishek's treatment under the supervision of trusted doctors and family physicians.