Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday, 6 June flatly denied reports that he had sought Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) security cover following a mob assault on him at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on 30 May. The denial came through a social media statement in which Banerjee called the claims 'entirely baseless and far from the truth.'

Background: The Sonarpur Attack

On the afternoon of 30 May, Banerjee was set upon by an angry mob at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district. The incident drew immediate political attention, with questions raised about the security arrangements — or lack thereof — in place at the time. Banerjee noted in his statement that the attack 'occurred under the watch of both the Central and State governments,' and said both must answer 'serious questions regarding the circumstances surrounding it.'

What Triggered the Denial

The controversy was sparked by expelled Trinamool Congress legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, now the official Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, who raised the issue at a press conference on 2 June. 'What kind of a mass leader is he? After the party's landslide defeat on May 4, he kept himself home-bound for 26 days. Now, he is seeking central forces' security cover for himself. He had earlier claimed that the public is there to protect him. So why is he now seeking security cover?' Ritabrata said, according to media reports. His remarks were widely carried in the press and set off a fresh round of political commentary.

Abhishek's Rebuttal

Responding directly, Abhishek Banerjee — who is also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — stated that he had 'not sought any security cover in the seven days since the attack.' He attributed the reports to 'politically motivated narratives' being amplified by sections of the media.

In his statement, he also pivoted to a broader law-and-order argument, saying that over the past month West Bengal had witnessed 'numerous incidents of rape and other horrific crimes affecting ordinary citizens,' to which the state administration had paid little attention. 'The safety and security of the people should be the foremost priority of those entrusted with governance,' he said, urging both state and central security agencies to focus on protecting citizens rather than engaging with what he described as misinformation.

Political Context

The episode unfolds against a backdrop of turbulence within and around Trinamool Congress following what Ritabrata described as a 'landslide defeat on May 4.' The public spat between the two Banerjees — one the party's national general secretary, the other its legislative opposition leader after expulsion — underscores deepening fissures in the party's West Bengal apparatus. Notably, this is not the first time Abhishek Banerjee's security arrangements and political standing have come under scrutiny since the election results.

With both the state and central governments implicated in the Sonarpur security lapse, the political fallout is likely to continue as opposition parties press for accountability.