All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, 14 November publicly accused the West Bengal Police of registering new First Information Reports (FIRs) against him every day in what he described as fabricated cases designed solely to harass him. The remarks came after he spent nearly five hours being questioned at Bhabanipur Police Station in South Kolkata.

What Banerjee Said Outside the Police Station

Speaking to reporters gathered outside the station, Banerjee maintained he had cooperated fully with investigators and had never evaded questioning. 'The investigating officers are doing their job. Whenever the officers called me, I went and never avoided facing the questioning. I did not run away anywhere. I am being called in various false cases. I am going on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. I will go if called in the future too,' he said.

His appearance at the station was linked to an FIR stemming from a social media post he published on 2 May this year. A complaint filed by Bhabanipur resident Arnabkanti Das prompted police to register the FIR on 27 May. Das alleged that Banerjee had described Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar as a 'puppet of an anti-Bengali Gujarati gang' — language Das contended promoted enmity against the Gujarati community and was incompatible with Banerjee's constitutional obligations as a Member of Parliament.

Banerjee's Explanation of the 'Gujarati Gang' Remark

After emerging from questioning, Banerjee offered context for the contested phrase, saying he had provided the same explanation to the investigating officers. 'I used the term "Gujarati Gang" in the context of a statement from BJP leader Amit Malviya, where he described the "Bangla" or "Bengali" language as a "Bangladeshi" language. Since when is it a "Bangladeshi" language? So, I explained to the investigating officer about the context,' he told reporters.

Banerjee is the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and has been a prominent face of the TMC's national expansion strategy. Critics argue that the frequency of legal actions against him reflects a broader political contest between the ruling TMC and central agencies and opposition groups, though the police have not publicly commented on the political dimension of the cases.

Second FIR: Allegations Over Remarks Against an IPS Officer

In a separate development on Friday, 13 November, a second FIR was registered against Banerjee at Girish Park Police Station in North Kolkata. This case pertains to allegedly derogatory remarks and threats directed at a serving Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in West Bengal.

A notice in connection with that case was served at his Kalighat residence on Friday night, directing him to appear at the Girish Park Police Station by 12 noon on 20 November for questioning. Banerjee has not publicly commented specifically on this second FIR as yet.

Pattern of Legal Actions and Political Context

This is not the first time Banerjee has faced legal scrutiny. The TMC leader has previously appeared before central agencies in connection with separate probes. Notably, the latest round of FIRs comes at a politically charged moment in West Bengal, with the state government and opposition groups locked in sustained conflict over law enforcement and electoral administration. The involvement of the CEC in the original complaint adds a layer of constitutional sensitivity, given that the Election Commission of India operates as an independent constitutional body. Observers note that allegations of community-based hate speech by an elected representative carry significant legal weight regardless of the political context in which they are made.

With a fresh notice requiring Banerjee's appearance on 20 November, the legal pressure on the Diamond Harbour MP is set to continue in the coming days.