Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee was allegedly assaulted and heckled by a mob in Sonarpur of South 24 Parganas district on Saturday during a visit to families of party workers reportedly affected by post-poll violence.

The incident marked Banerjee’s first major public appearance since the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) come to power in the state, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule.

According to reports, Banerjee had travelled to Sonarpur South to meet the family members of several TMC workers, including slain party worker Sanju Karmakar. While moving through the area on a motorcycle, he was allegedly intercepted by a group of unidentified protesters who raised slogans against him and surrounded his convoy.

Witnesses said the protesters shouted “Chor, chor” (thief) slogans and pushed the motorcycle carrying Banerjee to the ground. The crowd allegedly hurled stones, bricks, shoes and eggs at the TMC leader, creating a chaotic situation.

Security personnel accompanying Banerjee quickly formed a protective shield around him and escorted him away from the area. Visuals circulating on social media showed Banerjee wearing a protective helmet, with his shirt torn and spectacles damaged during the attack. Speaking after the incident, Banerjee claimed that he was targeted in an attempt on his life.

“They wanted to kill me. It’s all BJP-sponsored. I was wearing a helmet, otherwise my head would have been split in two,” he said, adding that a brick struck near his eye and that he suffered blows to his chest, back, arms and legs.

Following the attack, Banerjee was taken to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata for medical treatment. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later visited him at the hospital.

The incident has sparked a major political controversy in the state. The TMC strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a premeditated attempt on Banerjee’s life. Party leaders alleged that security arrangements were inadequate and claimed that local police deployment had been insufficient despite intelligence inputs.

The BJP, however, denied any involvement in the incident and maintained that the confrontation reflected public anger among local residents rather than any organised political action. Several opposition leaders across the country, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh Yadav, condemned the attack and expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in West Bengal.

The assault came on a day when Banerjee also received a notice from the West Bengal CID, directing him to appear before investigators at Bhabani Bhawan in Kolkata on June 1 in connection with an inquiry into alleged forged signatures of TMC legislators submitted to the Assembly Secretariat.

Banerjee said he would consult his legal team before responding to the summons. Authorities have not yet announced any arrests in connection with the Sonarpur attack, and an investigation is underway.