‘Chor chor’ chants, shoes thrown at Mamata Banerjee’s car during Halisahar protest

New Delhi: TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee faced a major protest in Halisahar on Sunday when she arrived to visit the family of a Trinamool Congress worker who allegedly died under mysterious circumstances while in police custody.

As Banerjee travelled in her vehicle, protesters gathered along the route and began raising slogans of “chor chor” (thief, thief) against her. Shoes were also allegedly thrown at her car, while protesters reportedly shouted abusive remarks.

The former Chief Minister was accompanied by Trinamool Congress leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen. The incident came during Mamata Banerjee’s first visit to the district since May 4, when she travelled there to meet party workers.

Earlier, she had faced protests during a march outside her residence and while travelling to the Calcutta High Court. However, Sunday’s visit was reportedly her first attempt to travel into the area to meet the family of a deceased party worker.

Protesters were heard shouting, Look, the thief has arrived,” as the Mamta’s convoy passed through the area.

Mamata accuses BJP of orchestrating protest

Speaking about the incident, Mamata Banerjee alleged that stones and bricks were thrown at her vehicle and claimed that the protest had been organised with the help of BJP workers.

“A lot of bricks were thrown at our vehicle. You cannot imagine how many bricks were hurled. The car was blocked for an hour,” she alleged.

Banerjee further claimed that those responsible for the death were still outside and said she would not be intimidated by the protests.

“I will come out. The BJP is afraid of me. They cannot stop me like this. They are afraid because their masks will be removed,” she said.

Protesters question Mamata’s visit

One of the protesters questioned Banerjee’s presence in the area, saying, “Have you ever come to this ward before? Have you ever even mentioned Bijju’s name? He died yesterday and you have arrived today.”

The protest was also strongly criticised by BJP MLA Arjun Singh, who launched a sharp attack on Mamata.

“Mamata Banerjee is searching for dead bodies like a vulture,” Singh alleged. He added that if anyone was responsible for the incident, they would certainly face punishment, but claimed that people in Bengal would call a “thief” a thief.

The confrontation comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP trading allegations over the death of the party worker and the circumstances surrounding the incident.