Have not sought central security cover: Abhishek Banerjee says after being attacked

Dismissing all the speculations, Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary, has clarified that he has not sought any central security cover from the Centre, following the attack on him in South 24 Parganas’ Sonarpur.

Confirming his decision on the security protocol, the Diamond Harbour MP on Saturday wrote on X, “A section of the media is reporting that I have sought central security cover following the attack on me in Sonarpur on the 30th of last month. This claim is entirely baseless and far from the truth. I have not sought any security cover in the seven days since the attack.”

Abhishek was mobbed and injured on May 30, during his first public visit to Sonarpur since Trinamool Congress’s poll debacle in West Bengal in the 2026 assembly election. As soon as he stepped out of his car to meet the family members of Sanju Karmakar, a TMC worker who allegedly died in the post-poll violence, a group of people started throwing eggs and stones at him. A few of them even attempted to beat him physically.

The TMC leader narrowly escaped injury when a stone struck his helmet, shielding his face from direct impact. Multiple video recordings of the event capture the moment the stone hit the protective headgear, preventing serious harm.

Talking about the incident, the TMC’s de facto number 2 blamed the Centre and the state government for failing to ensure his safety.

“The incident occurred under the watch of both the Central and State governments, and they must answer serious questions regarding the circumstances surrounding it,” Abhishek wrote.

PROTECT CITIZENS, ABHISHEK BANERJEE URGED CENTRAL, STATE GOVERNMENTS

Emphasising the alleged incidents of rape and other atrocities, Abhishek urged state and central security agencies to protect citizens of Bengal.

“What is even more disturbing is that over the past month, West Bengal has witnessed numerous incidents of rape and other horrific crimes affecting ordinary citizens, many of which have received little or no attention. The safety and security of the people should be the foremost priority of those entrusted with governance,” he wrote.

“I urge both the State and Central security agencies to focus on protecting the citizens of West Bengal rather than allowing misinformation and politically motivated narratives to be amplified through sections of the media,” he further added.

- Ends