The case pertains to events in 2021 when police in Khowai district arrested 14 Trinamool Congress workers for violating COVID-19 safety regulations. According to the prosecution, Abhishek Banerjee, along with other party leaders including Kunal Ghosh, Dola Sena, and Brapta Nasu, arrived at the police station to secure their release and allegedly engaged in misconduct and physical confrontation with police officers. A case was subsequently registered in connection with the incident.
Prosecution counsel Abhijit Bhattacharjee stated that the arrests were made due to violations of pandemic-related norms and that the situation escalated when senior Trinamool Congress leaders intervened at the police station, leading to allegations of assault and misconduct. Trinamool Congress legislator Kunal Ghosh, who was present during the 2021 incident, has reportedly received the court summons on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee.
In parallel legal proceedings, Abhishek Banerjee is also facing additional summons from the Criminal Investigation Department of the West Bengal Police in a separate matter related to alleged discrepancies in signatures of legislators supporting him. He has challenged the summons, citing issues regarding signature mismatches.
The legal developments come at a time when both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were in Delhi attending a meeting of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc.
Meanwhile, internal tensions within the Trinamool Congress appear to be intensifying following recent electoral setbacks. Several legislators have publicly expressed dissent, with claims emerging of efforts to represent what they describe as the “real Trinamool Congress” independent of Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership.
Senior party leader Kalyan Banerjee has openly criticized Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of arrogance and misconduct, and suggesting that the leadership crisis may require intervention by party chief Mamata Banerjee. He also indicated that continued internal dysfunction could lead to his resignation from the party.
The party has also been experiencing a series of resignations from the Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament Prakash Chik Baraik resigned recently, becoming the third Trinamool Congress member to step down within a week, following Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.
Further deepening the political strain, rebel Member of Parliament Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has claimed that a group of 20 Members of Parliament has demanded separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha and has expressed support for the National Democratic Alliance.
The combination of legal summons, internal dissent, and parliamentary resignations underscores a period of significant instability for the Trinamool Congress, with both judicial scrutiny and political fragmentation converging simultaneously.
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