Kolkata: Trinamool Congress-Mamta General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Kolkata Police Saturday afternoon for questioning in connection with an FIR registered against him over a social media post targeting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Banerjee reached the Bhabanipur Police Station in South Kolkata within the stipulated time of 12.30 pm, following a notice issued to him by the Kolkata Police earlier in the day. He arrived in his vehicle and walked straight into the police station without responding to questions from media personnel waiting outside.
His questioning was underway when this report was filed. A Kolkata Police source indicated that the interrogation was likely to continue for a considerable period.
The case relates to a social media post published by the Diamond Harbour MP May 2 this year, in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks against the CEC. An FIR was subsequently registered May 27 following a complaint lodged by Arnabkanti Das, a Bhabanipur resident.
In his complaint, Das objected to Banerjee’s alleged description of the CEC as a “puppet of an anti-Bengali Gujarati gang”, claiming that the remarks promoted hatred against a particular community.
The complainant contended that despite taking an oath as an MP to protect the sovereignty of the Indian Constitution and the territorial integrity of the country, he had referred to the entire Gujarati community as a ‘gang’ or criminal group.
This, according to the complainant, apart from insulting the community, could also destroy the pluralistic culture and social harmony of the country. Therefore, he demanded immediate action against the Diamond Harbour MP.
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The police registered a case against the Trinamool-Mamata leader under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The charges relate to allegedly promoting enmity, inciting violence, attempting to create public disorder, instigating offences against the state and spreading rumours
A Kolkata Police source said Banerjee had been summoned to clarify his position in connection with the allegations. The police subsequently issued a formal notice directing him to appear for questioning Saturday.
The latest summons comes amid another legal controversy involving the Trinamool-Mamata General Secretary. Friday, a separate FIR was registered against him at Girish Park Police Station in North Kolkata over his alleged derogatory remarks and threats against a serving Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in West Bengal.
A notice in that case was served at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence in South Kolkata on Friday night. He has been asked to appear before the Girish Park police November 20 by 12 noon for questioning.
