BJP leader accuses Abhishek Banerjee of attempted assassination, cites 2018 attack
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee may just find himself further slipping down muddy waters as BJP leader Abhijit Das (Bobby) has filed a police complaint
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee may just find himself further slipping down muddy waters as BJP leader Abhijit Das (Bobby) has filed a police complaint against him in connection to the 2018 attack on him in South 24 Parganas’ Diamond Harbour. The TMC General Secretary, who is already facing a detailed investigation for allegedly forging the signatures of party MLAs to elect West Bengal Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, has now been accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy of making an assassination attempt on Das eight years ago. Read Full Story Das submitted the complaint, seeking a swift and time-bound investigation into what he described as a politically-backed attack, to the Officer-in-Charge of Diamond Harbour Police Station. The BJP leader has sought a comprehensive probe into what he claims was a pre-planned assault aimed at eliminating political opponents in the region. Das, who later contested against Abhishek Banerjee from the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, alleged that the incident was part of a larger conspiracy designed to curb the BJP's political growth in the area.
THE DECEMBER 2018 INCIDENT According to the complaint, the incident occurred on December 21, 2018, at around 2:40 pm near Swastik Bhavan at Kapat Hat in Diamond Harbour. Das alleged that he and several BJP workers were travelling to an official party meeting when their vehicle was intercepted by a large armed mob. The attackers, allegedly armed with sharp weapons and blunt objects, blocked the road, dragged the occupants out of the vehicle and assaulted them. Das claimed he suffered serious head injuries and significant blood loss, requiring prolonged medical treatment. Several BJP workers accompanying him were also injured, while the vehicle was extensively vandalised before the attackers fled the scene. In his latest complaint, Das argued that the violence was not an isolated clash, but a coordinated attack carried out by an organised group. He alleged that slogans supporting senior rival political leaders were raised during the assault, indicating a deliberate attempt to intimidate political opponents. "The targeted execution of the attack, the behavior of the armed assembly, and subsequent evidence gathered indicate a deep-rooted conspiracy.
We are demanding that law enforcement thoroughly investigate the individuals who planned, funded, and coordinated this operation from the top," Das stated in his petition. The BJP leader further alleged that despite filing a detailed complaint in 2018, supported by medical records and photographs, and submitting a follow-up representation in December 2023, authorities failed to identify and prosecute the alleged masterminds behind the attack. Das has sought a 10-point investigation plan, including forensic examination of available CCTV footage, analysis of mobile tower data and call detail records, recording statements of eyewitnesses, journalists and police personnel, and probing the financial and logistical networks of those allegedly involved. CID PROBE AGAINST ABHISHEK BANERJEE The development comes as Abhishek Banerjee remains embroiled in a separate controversy concerning allegations that signatures of Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged in documents submitted to the West Bengal Assembly for the appointment of the Leader of Opposition. The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea related to CID notices issued to Banerjee.
The BriefWire