Abhishek Banerjee appears before police in X post row, gets another summons

Mamata All India Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday appeared before the Kolkata police for interrogation in connection with a controversial social media post targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to the police, the Diamond Harbour MP reached Bhabanipur police station at 12.22 pm in compliance with an earlier summons. Anticipating a gathering of party workers, police erected barricades outside the premises to regulate crowds and maintain order.

Meanwhile, some people chanted "chor, chor" (thief) slogans outside the police station when the TMC leader appeared, but his supporters reportedly dispersed the crowd. Banerjee published the purported post on his X handle on May 2, following which the police registered a case on May 27 for allegedly promoting enmity, provocation, and spreading rumours.

A complaint was filed by one Arnab Kanti Das, a Bhabanipur resident, alleging that the MP had made controversial remarks targeting the Election Commissioner and had allegedly equated the entire Gujarati community with criminal syndicates, thereby spreading hatred.

The complaint further claimed that such remarks could disturb social harmony and undermine national integrity. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to promoting enmity, provocation and spreading rumours.

Meanwhile on Friday, Banerjee received fresh police summons to appear before the Girish Park Police Station on November 20 over alleged threats to police personnel. On October 29, Banerjee allegedly threatened the police and obstructed them from discharging their duties, saying that the biased officers were allegedly targeting his party workers.

Following the incident, a woman had lodged a complaint against him at Girish Park Police Station in central Kolkata on October 31. Based on the complaint, police had registered a case under sections relating to threatening police personnel and obstructing them from discharging their duties.

Later in the day, Banerjee alleged that investigating agencies never summoned Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for questioning in the Narada case, while he was repeatedly being harassed through "false cases". Speaking to reporters outside his residence after being questioned by the police for nearly four hours in the social media post case, Banerjee said, "I had been summoned regarding a certain post made on May 2 when the model code of conduct was in place.

Once the government changed, a complaint was filed… I have always gone whenever I have been summoned… I have not run away." "In the last five years, no one saw Suvendu Adhikari, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, appear at a police station or before the CBI in connection with the Narada case, despite the allegations of accepting money, as he was protected by the high court.

There is nothing against me, yet I am repeatedly being summoned in various false cases," he claimed. Banerjee suggested that his party respected the law and had not misused its position while in power. Attacking the BJP he said, “I am repeatedly saying BJP is anti Bengal because BJP leaders have said there is no language called Bangla, but Bangladeshi language is there… In the last five years, the Centre has not given any money in the Bengal Awas Yojana, Centre did not give funds in the 100-day work and other schemes.

BJP leaders have insulted our culture and Durga Puja. I had justified why I had said 'Gujarati gang', I had replied to Amit Malviya's tweet. He said there is no Bengali language. I had given my justification." Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata.

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