Kolkata: The alleged attack on Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur has reignited debate over political violence in West Bengal, with BJP leaders recalling several past incidents in which opposition leaders and their convoys were reportedly targeted during the years of Trinamool rule.
The political storm began after Abhishek Banerjee alleged that he was attacked while visiting families reportedly affected by post poll violence in South 24 Parganas district. According to the TMC leader, stones, eggs and other objects were hurled at him, and a brick struck near his eye during the confrontation. The Trinamool Congress accused BJP backed elements of orchestrating the assault and described it as an attempt to physically harm him.
As the controversy intensified, BJP leaders rejected the allegations and pointed to several earlier incidents involving attacks on opposition figures in West Bengal. Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh recalled the December 2020 attack on the convoy of then BJP national president J P Nadda near Diamond Harbour. According to BJP leaders, stones were thrown at the convoy, damaging multiple vehicles, including police vehicles, while a security personnel was reportedly injured. Ghosh claimed that the bulletproof nature of the vehicle had prevented a potentially more serious outcome.
The BJP also highlighted the 2017 incident in Darjeeling when Dilip Ghosh, then the party’s Bengal president, allegedly faced hostility and physical confrontation during a political programme in the hills. Party leaders claimed that BJP workers accompanying him were assaulted during the unrest.
Another incident frequently cited by BJP leaders involved the alleged attack on the convoy of Suvendu Adhikari in Cooch Behar in August 2025. According to reports, vehicles in his convoy, including a police vehicle, were vandalised. Adhikari had then alleged that the attack was an attempt on his life. BJP leaders also referred to another confrontation involving Adhikari earlier this year near Chandrakona Road in West Midnapore, where his convoy was reportedly targeted.
The party further mentioned the October 2025 attack on BJP MP Khagen Murmu in Jalpaiguri’s Nagrakata area. Murmu reportedly suffered serious injuries while visiting flood affected regions, while BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh was also allegedly attacked during the incident.
The BJP additionally referred to the 2015 assault on CPI(M) leader Dhiren Let in Birbhum’s Mayureswar, where the veteran Left leader was reportedly injured during a political clash. The incident has often been cited by opposition parties while criticising political violence in the state.
The latest controversy comes at a time when political tensions in West Bengal remain high following the Assembly elections. Just a day after the Sonarpur episode, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also alleged that he was attacked in Hooghly while participating in a protest programme. The BJP denied involvement and argued that public resentment was being portrayed as organised political violence.
With both the TMC and BJP trading allegations over attacks on their leaders and workers, the renewed debate has once again placed the issue of political violence at the centre of Bengal’s political discourse. Political observers believe the latest incidents are likely to deepen the already sharp confrontation between the state’s two principal rivals in the coming weeks.