The Bidhannagar Cyber Crime police department has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee. The case follows allegations of delivering provocative speeches and issuing open threats against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the West Bengal election campaign trail.
The non-bailable case was filed based on a formal complaint lodged by a local social worker, Rajiv Sarkar.
The Allegations and Purported Threats
Sarkar initially approached the Baguiati police station on May 5, before being directed to the specialized cyber crime branch. In his complaint, Sarkar alleged that the Diamond Harbour MP delivered a series of highly polarizing speeches between April 27 and May 3 across multiple locations.
The complaint specifically highlights a purported statement made by Banerjee during an April 7 pre-poll roadshow in Kolkata:
“I will see who comes to save them on May 4. I will see which godfather from Delhi comes to their rescue,” Banerjee allegedly warned, challenging Amit Shah and other BJP leaders to face the public without central security forces once the election concluded.
Legal Charges Invoked:
The police have booked the TMC leader under several stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Representation of the People Act, 1951:
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Section 196 (BNS): Promoting enmity and hatred between different groups to disrupt public harmony (a non-bailable offense carrying up to three years of imprisonment).
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Section 351 (BNS): Criminal intimidation and instilling fear.
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Section 353(1)(c) (BNS): Circulating false statements or rumors to incite violence or riots.
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Sections 123(2) & 125 (RP Act): Exercising undue influence and promoting animosity during an official election.
Mamata Banerjee Moves Calcutta High Court Over Post-Poll Violence
The legal action against the TMC General Secretary comes right after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally appeared before the Calcutta High Court to address escalating political instability in the state.
Accompanied by senior leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kalyan Banerjee, the Chief Minister presented a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) claiming widespread post-poll retribution against her party workers.
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TMC’s Claims: The Chief Minister submitted that at least 10 people have been killed, nearly 2,000 instances of violence recorded, and 150 to 160 TMC party offices systematically vandalized or captured.
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Targeted Retaliation: She stated that women, children, and minority communities were specifically targeted while local law enforcement stood by as silent spectators. She submitted photographic evidence to back her plea for urgent judicial intervention.
High Court Formulates Directives for the State
Responding to the volatile situation, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court issued a set of interim directives to stabilize the ground reality:
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Strict Enforcement: The West Bengal government was ordered to strictly maintain law and order across all volatile rural and urban pockets.
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Protection for Displaced Citizens: The state police must guarantee the absolute safety of individuals who fled their homes out of fear of political retribution, ensuring their unhindered return to their properties, regardless of their political alignments.
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Timeline for Affidavits: While keeping the final legal maintainability of the TMC’s PIL open, the bench directed the state government to file its official affidavit-in-opposition within three weeks, allowing the petitioners an additional two weeks to submit any exceptions.
