KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slapped a man, reportedly a party worker, during a protest march in south Kolkata over the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district.
With permission from the Calcutta High Court, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress organised the march from Ballygunge Phari to Hazra Crossing on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the report, chaos broke out shortly after the march began when a section of the crowd, allegedly backed by the BJP, shouted "chor, chor" ("thief") slogans targeting TMC workers and supporters. The BJP also held a separate march in the area.
The two groups allegedly clashed despite a heavy police deployment led by senior officials. TMC workers claimed BJP supporters attacked them while raising the slogans and played loud music through a DJ system to disrupt the rally.
Banerjee came out of her Kalighat residence after learning about the disturbance and found a large crowd gathered there. According to the report, as the situation escalated, she lost her temper and slapped a man on the face. She also allegedly struck several others on their backs.
"She is mentally upset and suffering from restlessness after she was voted out of power by people in the state in the recent elections. This kind of behaviour is really unfortunate as she could not accept the defeat," Union Minister of State for Education and former Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumder said.
After the march, Banerjee accused the police of undermining the Calcutta High Court's order by allowing BJP workers to disrupt the TMC rally.
Responding to a question on how BJP workers were permitted to hold rallies on the same route, she alleged that the police allowed them to set up stages, dais and microphones despite the court permitting the TMC march from Ballygunge Phari to Hazra Crossing.
Banerjee further alleged that BJP workers snatched handheld microphones permitted for the rally and assaulted TMC supporters, including women and senior citizens.
"How can the police undermine a court order allowing a TMC rally? BJP goons beat up our workers at the protest march. This is contempt of court," Banerjee told reporters, adding that her party would move the court alleging contempt.
"The police have become the main organ of the BJP. Despite a court order, our rally was attacked by BJP workers. We will file a complaint of contempt of court. I blame the police and the state administration," she said.