Kolkata, May 30: Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was allegedly heckled and assaulted during a visit to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, was shifted to a second private hospital in Kolkata after Trinamool Congress supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment being provided at the first facility.
Following the incident in Sonarpur, Abhishek Banerjee was escorted out of the area by West Bengal Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel and brought to a private hospital near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata. He was admitted to the emergency unit for medical examination and preliminary treatment.
Shortly after his admission, Mamata Banerjee arrived at the hospital accompanied by Abhishek’s mother, Lata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress chief went directly to the emergency ward where doctors were attending to her nephew.
However, within about 30 minutes of her arrival, Mamata Banerjee emerged from the hospital and announced her decision to shift Abhishek to another medical facility. Speaking to reporters, she alleged that proper treatment was not being provided to him and hinted at possible political interference.
“We are shifting Abhishek from here. He is not receiving proper treatment. Perhaps there are instructions from some higher authority,” she told media personnel before leaving the hospital premises.
Mamata Banerjee also indirectly blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the state administration, suggesting that the hospital authorities might have been influenced in their handling of the case. The hospital where Abhishek was initially admitted did not issue any immediate response to the allegations.
Abhishek Banerjee was later taken in a wheelchair to another private hospital in the Minto Park area of central Kolkata, where he was admitted for further treatment and observation.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee faced intense protests while visiting Sonarpur to meet the family members of a slain Trinamool Congress worker, reportedly a victim of post-poll violence. According to party sources, women protesters allegedly slapped him and hurled eggs at him, forcing him to wear a cricket helmet for protection.
Despite the protests, he completed the visit and met the bereaved family before being escorted away by security personnel. The incident has triggered a fresh political controversy, with Mamata Banerjee directly accusing the BJP and the state administration of being responsible for the attack and its aftermath.
