Bengal: Midnight FIR against Abhishek sparks TMC charge of ‘vendetta politics’
A cybercrime FIR was filed against Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in West Bengal, accusing him of inflammatory speeches during the election campaign, which the TMC calls 'vendetta politics' by the BJP. The case, registered days after Banerjee criticized post-poll violence and alleged electoral manipulation, includes non-bailable offenses and has sparked claims of selective legal targeting against opposition leaders.
A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at the Bidhannagar North cyber crime police station against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s all-India general-secretary and MP from Diamond Harbour. The complaint, filed by Rajib Sarkar—a BJP worker—alleges Banerjee made provocative speeches during the election campaign, including remarks against Union home minister Amit Shah and comments about DJ music. Police registered the case under Sections 192, 196, 351(2), 353(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 123(2) and 125 of the Representation of the People Act, with some offenses labeled non-bailable. The FIR, officially registered on 15 May at midnight, was submitted on 5 May, a day after the election results. It claims Banerjee’s speeches in March and May at rallies in Maheshtala, Arambagh, Haringhata, and Nandigram incited hostility and political unrest. TMC leaders criticized the timing, linking it to Banerjee’s public attack on the BJP, where he accused the central government of allowing post-poll violence and electoral manipulation. Banerjee, in a post on X, vowed to challenge legal abuses and alleged Central forces ignored attacks on TMC workers and offices. He claimed TMC counting agents were forcibly removed from over 100 constituencies. TMC supporters argue Banerjee’s rising popularity and criticism of the BJP made him a target, while BJP leaders faced no similar legal action despite polarizing rhetoric. During the campaign, BJP leaders, including Shah, used phrases like ‘free Bengal from fear and infiltration,’ which TMC described as coded communal messaging. Other BJP leaders called TMC workers ‘goons’ and warned of ‘strict action’ post-election. TMC leaders argue such statements were equally inflammatory but did not face police scrutiny, highlighting what they call selective enforcement against opposition figures.
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