Abhishek Banerjee denies seeking central security cover after Sonarpur attack

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday dismissed media reports claiming that he had sought central security cover following an alleged attack on him in Sonarpur, describing the reports as "entirely baseless and far from the truth."

In a post on X, the national general secretary of the party said, "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".

While emphasising that he had never sought any security cover since the attack, Banerjee said, "The incident occurred under the watch of both the Central and State governments and they must answer serious questions regarding the circumstances surrounding it".

He also accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of turning a blind eye to what he claimed "numerous incidents of rape and other horrific crimes affecting ordinary citizens" in the last in the last one month.

"The safety and security of the people should be the foremost priority of those entrusted with governance," he said.

He urged both state and central security agencies to prioritise the safety of West Bengal’s citizens, rather than letting misinformation and politically motivated narratives gain traction in sections of the media.

"The people deserve safety, accountability and the truth," he said.

Notably, Banerjee was allegedly manhandled by the locals during his visit to Sonarpur, where he had gone to meet the families of post-poll violence victims. During the incident, eggs, shoes and stones were reportedly hurled at the Lok Sabha MP.