Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo and former chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee Saturday expressed shock over the attack on party MP Abhishek Banerjee and raised questions over both the security arrangements in place and the circumstances surrounding his treatment at a hospital afterwards.
Addressing reporters Saturday night, Banerjee claimed that an elected public representative had been assaulted and subsequently faced uncertainty over medical care.
“If there was genuinely no need for hospitalisation, why was he first taken to the ITU, kept under observation for nearly two hours, and advised to undergo multiple medical tests and scans?” she asked.
According to the TMC supremo, Abhishek remained under medical supervision from around 8.15 pm till nearly 11 pm before being discharged.
She maintained that if the doctors had considered treatment and observation necessary, no external authority should have interfered with that decision.
Referring to the medical assessment, Banerjee said doctors found multiple injuries and recommended urgent investigations.
“The doctors who examined him observed multiple injuries and advised urgent medical investigations. According to the medical assessment, he sustained multiple blunt injuries to the face, back, chest, and neck,” she said.
She added that doctors advised X-rays and scans to rule out fractures, internal bleeding and other complications, including possible injury to internal organs.
Banerjee alleged that the incident could have had far more serious consequences.
“I have been informed that had a helmet not been placed on his head at the crucial moment, the consequences could have been fatal,” she said, claiming that Abhishek suffered injuries to his chest and rib area due to stone-pelting and physical assault.
The former Bengal chief minister also questioned the administration’s role, saying the police had prior information about the visit.
“The police had prior information regarding the visit of Abhishek; despite that, questions remain regarding security arrangements,” she said, alleging that outsiders had been brought in to create violence.
Maintaining that political rivalry should not translate into violence, Banerjee said democracy must be guided by public support and debate rather than intimidation.
“Politics should be fought politically. The answer to political differences cannot be violence, intimidation, weapons, or fear,” she said.
The former chief minister also expressed concern over allegations that pressure had been exerted on doctors and hospital authorities regarding treatment decisions.
“The most disturbing aspect of today’s developments is the allegation that pressure was exerted on doctors and hospital authorities regarding the treatment of an injured patient,” she said, asserting that decisions on admission, discharge and treatment should rest solely with medical professionals.
Banerjee said her party had decided to continue Abhishek’s treatment under the supervision of trusted doctors and family physicians. She also noted that he has a pre-existing eye-related medical condition, making a thorough assessment of his injuries essential.
Banerjee further shared that leaders from different political parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, had expressed concern over the incident.
She asserted that the TMC would continue its political programmes and respond through democratic means.
“We will continue our scheduled programmes and public outreach activities. We will not be intimidated,” Banerjee said.
