Now Reading: Mamata alleges car attack with stones, slippers in Bengal
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Mamata alleges car attack with stones, slippers in Bengal
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's vehicle came under attack in Halisahar on 9 August as she visited the family of TMC worker Birju Keot, who died in police custody. Banerjee…
The Story in Brief
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's vehicle came under attack in Halisahar on 9 August as she visited the family of TMC worker Birju Keot, who died in police custody. Banerjee said protesters, whom she alleged were backed by the BJP, hurled stones, bricks, mud, and slippers at her car, claiming she could have been killed if the windows had been open. TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen, present at the scene, echoed her allegations against the state government.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya condemned the attack and denied any party involvement, while BJP MLA Sudipta Das accused Banerjee of exploiting the death for political attention. The deceased worker, Birju Keot, was arrested on extortion charges and died hours after being remanded to police custody on Friday. His wife has alleged police torture. Barrackpore Police said a post-mortem examination and magisterial inquest are underway.
The Indian Opinion
This story has generated exaggerated narratives from both sides. TMC calls it a BJP-ordered assassination attempt; the BJP calls Mamata a 'vulture' exploiting a custodial death for political gain. Missing from both is the admitted custodial death of Birju Keot. Until the post-mortem, the magisterial inquest, and the police CCTV footage are made fully public, neither the motive nor the extent of the attack can be judged. The question is not who shouted more loudly but what the autopsy and witness accounts say about the death in custody.
Sources (6): hindustantimes.com, news.abplive.com, siasat.com, nationalheraldindia.com, timesnownews.com, thefederal.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 6 sources.
