Kolkata Police arrest two for egg attack on TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police on Tuesday, 17 June 2025 arrested two individuals — Chandan Kayal and Ravi Kayal — for allegedly hurling eggs at All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kunal Ghosh outside the Kalighat residence of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in south Kolkata. The arrests followed a formal complaint lodged by Ghosh at Kalighat Police Station late Monday night, hours after the incident.
How the Incident Unfolded
On Monday evening, Ghosh — a TMC spokesperson and Beleghata MLA — had attended a party meeting at Banerjee's Kalighat home alongside several senior Trinamool leaders. As he stepped out and addressed the media gathered outside, eggs were flung at him, striking him on the neck and back. Ghosh described the act as a deliberate attempt to harass him.
He also raised pointed questions about the failure of security personnel stationed in front of the former Chief Minister's residence to intervene. Demanding immediate arrests, he walked to the police station on his own that night to file the complaint. The two accused were taken into custody the following afternoon.
Ghosh Speaks Out on Facebook
In a lengthy Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Ghosh recounted the episode in his own words: 'I was standing alone, unarmed, and insecure at the request of the media. My eyes were on the camera. Eggs were thrown at that time. The police were just onlookers. After that, I walked out of there and went to the police station alone at night.'
He stressed that he neither sought nor needed outside support beyond his own well-wishers, framing his decision to file the complaint solo as a matter of principle.
A History of Speaking Against the Grain
Ghosh's post went beyond the immediate incident, touching on his political record of dissent within his own party. He noted that after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, he had publicly stood by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who faced post-poll violence — a rare stance for a sitting TMC spokesperson. He specifically cited his protests against police allegedly breaking into the residence of BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and the alleged harassment of advocate Kaustuv Bagchi.
'Even as a Trinamool spokesperson, he felt that these were not the right things to do,' he wrote, reinforcing a pattern of internal criticism that has made him a singular, if controversial, voice within the ruling party.
What Ghosh Said About His Political Stand
Concluding his post with a declaration of intent, Ghosh wrote: 'I follow my own path. I still say that there were attempts to attack me. There will be more. I am not afraid. One, I will fight against the BJP politically. However, there will be cooperation with the government for the people of Beleghata. Two, I will try to turn around by correcting the mistakes within my party. My body will be lying there at most. But I will not change.'
The arrests mark a swift police response, though questions about the security lapse outside one of Bengal's most closely guarded addresses are unlikely to fade quickly. Authorities have not yet indicated whether a wider investigation into the motive behind the attack is underway.