Eggs thrown at Mahua as 'BJP men' hold her 'hostage': How 4-hour 'siege' unfolded
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra was allegedly held hostage and attacked by BJP supporters at a party office in West Bengal. Moitra accused the police of inaction, while local authorities and the BJP have provided conflicting accounts or remained silent.
Why it matters
The incident underscores rising political tensions and concerns regarding law enforcement neutrality in Indian regional politics.
KOLKATA: Eggs were thrown at Mahua Moitra and the TMC MP was effectively held hostage for nearly four hours by alleged BJP supporters inside a Trinamool Congress party office in Nadia’s Kaliganj on Wednesday. The Krishnanagar lawmaker claimed cops stood by despite repeated pleas for help.Moitra shared multiple videos on X and Facebook, showing protesters hurling eggs, mud and stones through the windows, with one egg hitting her, before she was eventually escorted out by police around 6pm. “This was unchecked BJP mob violence for over 4 hrs aided by police inside our MLA office. BJP’s lynch mob which grew by the minute. Each one of them BJP workers. The numbers grew as police watched silently for 4 hours,” Moitra posted. In a Facebook Live, she was seen holding a Trinamool flag aloft as the attack gained strength. In a separate incident, alleged BJP workers staged black-flag protests against Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen in Durgapur.Moitra was attending a Trinamool workers’ meeting when alleged BJP supporters gathered on the national highway, sporting black flags as ‘go back’ and ‘thief’ slogans continued.Rejecting allegations of police inaction, Krishnanagar SP Atul V said cops rushed to the spot after receiving information and repeatedly requested Moitra to leave the premises. According to him, discussions continued between the MP and police before she eventually came out around 6pm. BJP did not respond to Moitra’s allegations.The incident prompted a sharp response from Abhishek Banerjee, who said the alleged attack on an elected MP and the silence of the police despite recent Calcutta High Court directions on ensuring security raised “serious questions”. He described the incident as an act of intimidation and warned that political power was not permanent.In Durgapur, alleged BJP workers waved black flags and raised “go back” slogans at Sen when she arrived to attend a blood donation camp organised by the Trinamool workers’ union at the Durgapur Steel Plant.Sen questioned why she should be stopped from attending a blood donation camp organised on Doctors’ Day “Shouldn’t I attend even a blood donation camp,” she asked.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in KolkataStay updated with the latest Kolkata news. Download the TOI App.
The framing focuses heavily on the MP's allegations of violence and police failure, though it does include the police's rebuttal.
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