‘Not BJP’s Culture...We Don't Endorse It’: Minister Agnimitra Paul Condemns Attack on Mamata Banerjee’s Vehicle

Kolkata: West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul on Sunday strongly condemned the alleged attack on former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s vehicle, asserting that such acts have no place in the BJP’s culture or the new government’s values.

“Whatever she has done for the last 14 years, but I am a team member of this new government and a supporter of the Chief Minister. Neither I, nor our party, nor our government supports acts like assaulting, manhandling, or throwing mud, ink, or footwear. This cannot be part of our culture; this is not the BJP’s culture,” Paul said.

“Mamata Banerjee may have committed many wrongs or made many mistakes, but we can never support this kind of behaviour—especially against a woman, and an elderly woman. We do not endorse this... If anyone is carrying out such acts while claiming to represent the BJP, they are in the wrong,” she added.

The remarks came after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged that “anti-social elements” pelted large stones at her car in North 24 Parganas while she was en route to the residence of a deceased TMC worker. Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen were accompanying her.

Speaking to reporters, Banerjee claimed the attack occurred in full view of the police and was severe enough to have caused serious injury or death had the windows been open. 

“Large stones were hurled at my car by anti-social elements, right in front of the police. The attack on the vehicle was so severe that if the windows had been open, my head would have been split open. We could have all been killed,” she said.

She further alleged that the police failed to intervene and were instead “providing protection to the BJP.”

“This happened right in front of the police. I have never seen anything like this. What is going on?” Banerjee asked. Slogans of “Chor bhagao” were reportedly raised by the crowd during the incident.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya also condemned the attack and distanced the party from it. He said the BJP had no association with the incident and described it as a matter “between the public and TMC.” Bhattacharya urged the police to take necessary action against those responsible.

“If anyone throws stones at the former Chief Minister's vehicle, throws mud or throws a slipper, the BJP does not support them. No BJP worker is involved in this and we do not want such behavior to be meted out to the state's former female Chief Minister. If this happens, it will tarnish the face of West Bengal itself in the future. We condemn this incident and if it has happened, the police under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will take immediate action on it,” he said.

The incident has drawn sharp political reactions in the state, with both sides trading accusations over responsibility and police response.