Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slapped a Trinamool Congress worker after losing her temper during a protest march in Kolkata against the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Baruipur.
The procession, organised by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress, was held following permission from the Calcutta High Court. The march began from the Ballygunge outpost and was scheduled to proceed towards Hazra Crossing in south Kolkata.
Soon after the procession got underway, tensions escalated as slogans of "Chor Chor" (thief) were raised near the march. Minor clashes were also reported between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that several of its supporters were assaulted.
Amid the commotion, Mamata Banerjee came out of her residence in Kalighat, where a large crowd had gathered. As she attempted to calm the situation, the unrest intensified, prompting her to lose her temper and slap one of her party workers in full public view.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar accused Banerjee of losing her composure after being voted out of power.
"Mamata Banerjee has become mentally confused after she was ousted from power. Although all this behaviour is unfortunate, her mental balance has been lost. She is still unable to accept that the people of Bengal have removed her from power," he said.
Addressing the media after stepping out of her residence, Banerjee criticised the police over the handling of the protest and described those involved in the violence in Baruipur as "rioters."
She said the student and youth procession had been organised with the permission of the Calcutta High Court and stressed that everyone had the democratic right to protest.
Banerjee alleged that BJP workers had assembled outside her residence, raised slogans and intimidated her supporters. She also claimed that police had effectively placed Trinamool Congress workers under house arrest, confiscated their hand microphones and allowed loud music to be played since early morning.
According to Banerjee, hired miscreants created disturbances along the route from her residence to the Ballygunge outpost and assaulted women participating in the march. She said she personally witnessed injured women with blood on their faces and chests after stepping out to intervene.
She further said the party wanted incidents of rape and violence against women to decline and condemned the attacks on women during the protest.
Banerjee also questioned the role of the police, saying they had failed in their responsibility to provide security and prevent BJP workers from entering the procession.
While saying she did not blame the BJP directly, she held the police accountable for the situation and alleged that the incident amounted to contempt of court. She also compared the law-and-order situation with Uttar Pradesh, claiming that unrest was greater there while condemning the developments in Kolkata.
With IANS inputs