Mamata Banerjee said her nephew, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, suffered life-threatening chest blood clots following an attack in Sonarpur [1].
The incident has sparked a political confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the truth of medical reports. Because Abhishek Banerjee is a high-profile political figure, the discrepancy between government claims and hospital records suggests a deeper struggle over the narrative of political violence in West Bengal.
The attack occurred May 31, 2024 [1], in the South 24 Parganas district. Mamata Banerjee said the assault was carried out by BJP workers as part of an ongoing political rivalry [1]. She expressed grave concern over her nephew's health, stating, "He could have died" [1].
However, medical staff at the local hospital in Sonarpur disputed these claims. A hospital spokesperson said, "The injuries are superficial and do not warrant admission" [2]. This contradiction has led to a public disagreement regarding the actual condition of the TMC leader.
Further tension emerged following reports of an audio recording in which Mamata Banerjee allegedly warned the hospital CEO [3]. These reports prompted accusations that the BJP pressured the medical facility to discharge the patient prematurely to downplay the violence [3].
A BJP party spokesperson denied these allegations of interference. "We are not pressuring any discharge; the patient will be treated as per medical advice," the spokesperson said [3].
The conflict highlights the volatile nature of regional politics in West Bengal, where medical outcomes and police reports are often viewed through a partisan lens. While the chief minister maintains that the attack was a severe attempt on her nephew's life, the medical facility's official stance remains that the injuries were minor [2].
“"He could have died," Mamata Banerjee said, referring to her nephew's condition.”
This incident underscores the extreme polarization in West Bengal's political landscape, where a medical diagnosis becomes a site of partisan conflict. The gap between the chief minister's description of life-threatening blood clots and the hospital's report of superficial injuries suggests that both sides are leveraging the event to frame a narrative of victimhood or exaggeration for political gain.
