Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh hit with egg outside Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat home
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh was targeted with an egg outside former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in the Kalighat area of Kolkata on Monday, 15 June, moments after he stepped out of a meeting at the premises. The alleged attacker, who identified himself as Chandan, claimed he had been waiting specifically for the Beleghata MLA.
How the Incident Unfolded
Ghosh had attended a meeting at Mamata Banerjee's south Kolkata residence along with several senior party leaders. As he exited and paused to speak with media personnel gathered outside, two individuals approached him from the front while others reportedly stood behind them.
According to Ghosh, he noticed one of the two produce an egg and hurl it at him while his attention was on a camera. 'My eyes were on the camera lens. At that moment, one of them threw an egg at me,' he said.
What the Alleged Attacker Said
The youth who identified himself as Chandan told reporters he was a resident of the Kalighat area and had been waiting outside the former Chief Minister's home. He said he acted as a mark of protest, citing what he described as multiple allegations against the Trinamool leader. 'Did Kunal Ghosh commit fewer atrocities? He, along with others, deserves to be hit with rotten eggs,' the youth said.
A short while after the incident, as Ghosh was leaving the area in a car, some of the alleged attackers were reportedly still standing nearby. Ghosh remarked to them: 'Make omelettes with the remaining eggs and eat them.'
Ghosh Calls It Planned Vandalism, Not Public Anger
Ghosh firmly rejected any characterisation of the act as a spontaneous expression of public sentiment. 'This is vandalism. There is no anger. The vandalism is being planned. There is security in front of the former Chief Minister's house. The boys threw eggs and were allowed to leave,' he said.
His comments suggest he believes the incident was orchestrated rather than impulsive, though he did not name any group or individual as being behind it.
Security Questions Outside Mamata's Residence
The episode has raised questions about the security arrangements outside Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat home, given that the alleged attacker was reportedly able to approach the MLA and leave the scene without immediate intervention. No arrest had been confirmed in immediate reports following the incident. This comes amid a period of heightened internal tensions within the Trinamool Congress over a range of political and administrative issues in West Bengal.