From Fish To Eggs: How Bengal’s Political Symbolism Has Shifted After Change In Government | Exclusive
From Fish To Eggs: How Bengal’s Political Symbolism Has Shifted After Change In Government | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 20:21 IST
From Fish To Eggs: How Bengal’s Political Symbolism Has Shifted After Change In Government | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 20:21 IST A rise in egg-throwing incidents has transformed what began as isolated acts of protest into a recurring political flashpoint Trinamool Congress youth leader Soumitra Banerjee attacked with eggs while being taken to court by police. File image/ANI What was once a battle over fish during the West Bengal assembly election has now turned into the politics of eggs. Throughout the election campaign, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) projected the narrative that a BJP government would interfere with Bengalis’ food choices, particularly fish consumption. In response, BJP leaders organised fish festivals and campaigned while publicly consuming fish to counter the allegation. Fish became one of the defining political symbols of the election. Months after the change in government, the political symbolism has shifted dramatically. Eggs have emerged as a recurring form of public protest against opposition leaders. Several TMC leaders—including Abhishek Banerjee, Arup Biswas and local councillors—have faced egg-throwing incidents during public appearances. Similar attacks have also been reported during the production of arrested persons.
In the high-profile Baruipur lynching case, CPI(M) leader Lahek Ali was escorted wearing a protective helmet while being taken into custody after concerns over possible attacks from crowds. The growing number of such incidents has now prompted the West Bengal Police to issue a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) aimed at preventing assaults on persons under police protection. West Bengal Police Issue SOP Against Egg Attacks and Mob Violence The statewide circular follows the Calcutta High Court’s order dated June 30, 2026, in Md Danish Farooqui vs State of West Bengal & Others. The police acknowledged that, in several recent cases, individuals under police protection were targeted with eggs, ink, footwear, stones and other objects while being escorted, produced before courts or moved through public places. Under the SOP, all district police units have been directed to conduct threat assessments before escorting vulnerable persons and to identify sensitive routes, locations and events through intelligence gathering, cyber monitoring and social media surveillance. The guidelines mandate preventive measures including route sanitisation, barricading, crowd regulation, access control, CCTV coverage, videography, drone deployment wherever feasible, and adequate escort strength.
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