Congress Denounces Alleged Assault on Abhishek Banerjee, Labels It BJP's Retaliatory Politics

The Congress party has sharply criticized the alleged assault on Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur, West Bengal. The attack, which has sparked political outrage, was condemned by Rahul Gandhi as a grim reflection of the BJP's alleged culture of revenge politics.

During his visit to families affected by post-poll violence, Banerjee was reportedly assaulted with stones, shoes, and eggs by locals. Echoing anger, Rahul Gandhi expressed that targeting a public representative was an affront to democracy itself. Gandhi urged both central and state governments to act promptly to hold those responsible accountable, highlighting the need for public officials' security regardless of their political affiliation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge further criticized the apparent lack of police protection during the incident, indicating a political motive. Adding to the chorus of condemnations, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and Lok Sabha whip Manickam Tagore also called for immediate governmental intervention to prevent future attacks on politicians.

Television footage captured the chaos as Banerjee exited the volatile scene. The TMC leader alleged that such hostility was premeditated and demanded police presence to offer protection to affected families. Countering this, West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya suggested the locals' actions stemmed from years of pent-up anger.

(With inputs from agencies.)