Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Jun 2: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that efforts were underway from the party’s central leadership to weaken and break the TMC.

Addressing a sit-in protest at Y-Channel in Kolkata, Banerjee asserted that she would eventually remove the BJP from power in West Bengal if she remains politically active, claiming that attempts to destabilise her party would not succeed.

She alleged that senior BJP leaders in New Delhi were trying to fracture the TMC and intimidate its elected representatives, including MPs, MLAs, and councillors. However, she expressed confidence that such efforts would ultimately be defeated.

The protest marked Banerjee’s first public appearance since the assembly election results declared on May 4, which saw a major setback for the TMC. The event witnessed a relatively small gathering of party leaders on stage.

Among those present were several key MPs, including Lok Sabha Chief Whip Kalyan Banerjee, MP Mala Roy, and Rajya Sabha members Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, and Samirul Islam.

From the legislative side, senior TMC leaders present included Firhad Hakim, Biman Bandopadhyay, Nayna Bandopadhyay, Madan Mitra, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, and Ashok Deb.

The TMC currently holds 41 seats in Parliament and 80 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, including recently expelled legislators Ritabrata Banerjee and Samiran Saha.

During her speech, Banerjee also criticised two private hospitals in Kolkata over their alleged refusal to immediately admit her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee following an assault incident in Sonarpur on May 30.

She alleged that one hospital initially demanded administrative approval before admission, while another reportedly refused hospitalisation after medical examination, issuing a certificate stating that admission was not required. Banerjee said the incident reflected undue pressure and questioned the conduct of private healthcare institutions in emergency situations.

The TMC leader reiterated her determination to continue resisting political pressure and said she remained confident about her party’s future in West Bengal politics.