Sibal asked what action has been taken to book the perpetrators of the violence and questioned the silence of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Banerjee was roughed up allegedly by locals when he visited Sonarpur on Saturday to meet families of post-poll violence victims, police said.
Stones, shoes and eggs were hurled at the MP by unidentified people, who even attempted to rain blows and kicks on him while chanting “thief, thief”.
“I was shocked yesterday when I saw on social media the manner in which Abhishek Banerjee was attacked. Obviously it was a pre-meditated attack. I saw a person throwing a stone, luckily he was wearing a helmet,” Sibal said at a press conference here.
Had Banerjee not been wearing a helmet, it would have been a fatal injury, Sibal said.
“Unfortunately and purposely, they withdrew the security of Abhishek Banerjee who is a member of the Lok Sabha. Withdrew his security, knew where he was going, people were gathered there — goons, not citizens. These are the kind of people that should actually lose their right to vote,” Sibal said, hitting out at the BJP.Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has made no statement, Sibal said and added that it was “shameful”.
“The central forces are there. I remember Amit Shah making a statement that ‘there is nothing to worry about; the Centre’s forces will remain there for weeks’. So, you have the central forces there, you have the state police there, you have the BJP goons gathered there, they threw stones at Abhishek Banerjee, he was saved because of the helmet,” the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said.
The policemen looked away and did not interfere at all, and some of them were even taking a video of the event, he claimed.
“A privilege motion should be moved against these people because Abhishek Banerjee is a member of the Lok Sabha. They should be brought to book… And have any of those persons been arrested?” the MP said.
“Has the conspiracy behind this event been investigated? Has the chief minister made a statement that he condemns this? Has he stated the perpetrators of this violence would be brought to book? Has the home minister said anything? Has Mr Birla said anything? Is this the way our democracy is going to function?” Sibal questioned.
He also criticised the BJP over the alleged attack on another TMC leader, Kalyan Banerjee, who said he suffered head injuries after being mobbed by BJP workers in front of a police station in West Bengal‘s Hooghly district on Sunday.
Sibal asked if wanting to decimate the opposition through violent means should be the way after an electoral victory.
“Is that the mindset of the political party in power? Is this the future of India? Is this the Viksit Bharat you are talking about? And all because you want to decimate and bring fear into the minds of the opposition,” Sibal said, slamming the BJP.
“It is shameful, absolutely shameful. I am ashamed that I am living in a country where this is what happens, where the political party in power would use any means to destroy whatever foundations of democracy our great leaders laid down when this republic came into being,” the senior advocate said.
Condemning the attack on the TMC general secretary, Sibal on Saturday alleged that the BJP “epitomises” violence both in words and deeds.
Following the Saturday’ incident, Abhishek Banerjee claimed that BJP activists were trying to kill him.
The Diamond Harbour MP escaped the mob wearing a cricket helmet and with the help of his aides on Saturday.
Television footage from the scene showed a visibly shaken Banerjee being escorted through the area under heavy personal security and by local TMC workers.
Wearing a police-issued helmet for protection, Banerjee was seen with his shirt torn amid the melee.
“They wanted to kill me. The whole incident has been captured on camera. We will definitely let the high court know about this. We will also let the governor know about this. I will definitely move court,” Banerjee said while meeting the kin of Sanju Karmakar, who died allegedly in the post-poll violence.
“It’s all BJP-sponsored. Look what they have done. This is their example of democracy. It hasn’t even been a month, and the police are nowhere to be seen. My head was somehow spared. Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet. They have torn my clothes and broken my spectacles,” he alleged.
Claiming there was no police presence at the spot when he was attacked, Banerjee said he would not leave the area until police arrived.
Meanwhile, denouncing the attack, BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya said such incidents aren’t desirable in a healthy and normal society, while insisting that the saffron party was in no way involved.
“The BJP is not involved in such activities. But what happened could be the outcome of the anger of locals who were tortured over the years,” Bhattacharya said.
