KOLKATA: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was allegedly targeted in a knife attack near her residence on Tuesday evening while returning from the inauguration of a Durga Puja pandal, according to claims by political figures.
Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale claimed in a social media post that an individual allegedly under the influence of drugs targeted Banerjee near her residence.
Banerjee and TMC Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen were reportedly on their way to inaugurate a nearby Durga Puja pandal when a woman allegedly hurled abusive remarks at the former chief minister, despite addressing her as “pisi”, a Bengali term for aunt.
Sen later filed a complaint with Kalighat Police Station, alleging that the woman, identified as Tannistha Saha, attacked Banerjee with a knife. In an email to the officer-in-charge, Sen described Saha as someone allegedly known as a civic volunteer and a drug addict, and claimed that she had approached the former chief minister in an aggressive manner.
Sen also questioned how the woman had been able to approach Banerjee’s residence despite the former chief minister’s Z-plus security cover, raising concerns about a possible wider conspiracy.
Police subsequently detained Saha and launched an investigation into the allegations. The claims have not been independently verified.