TMC Moves Calcutta High Court Alleging Attacks on Party Workers, Seeks Urgent Intervention

The Calcutta High Court on Monday agreed to urgently hear a Public Interest Litigation filed by All India Trinamool Congress alleging a pattern of targeted attacks, public humiliation and violence against its leaders, elected representatives and party workers across West Bengal.

The matter was mentioned before a Division Bench led by Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty by Senior Advocate Sirsanya Bandopadhyay, who submitted that despite the petition having been filed on Friday, it had not yet been listed for hearing. Emphasising the urgency of the issue, Bandopadhyay requested immediate judicial intervention, following which the Bench agreed to take up the matter on priority.

The PIL raises concerns over what the ruling party describes as a growing trend of politically motivated violence directed at individuals associated with the Trinamool Congress. According to the petition, several recent incidents involving party leaders and workers point to an alarming deterioration of public order and a failure to ensure their safety.

Among the incidents referred to in the plea are alleged attacks and acts of public humiliation directed at senior Trinamool Congress leaders, including Members of Parliament Derek O'Brien, Kalyan Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, as well as party leaders Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra. The petition cites episodes of egg-pelting and other forms of public hostility allegedly faced by these leaders and party supporters in recent weeks.

Seeking judicial protection, the petitioner contends that the incidents are not isolated occurrences but part of a broader pattern of intimidation targeting members of the political party. The plea states that the Court's intervention is necessary to safeguard constitutional values and protect citizens from unlawful acts of violence and coercion.

According to the petition, the proceedings have been initiated to uphold democratic principles, the rule of law and the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution. It alleges that these rights have been undermined by repeated acts of victimisation and politically motivated aggression against party workers and associates.

The plea asserts that workers and supporters of the party are being subjected to repeated acts of physical assault and public humiliation in different parts of West Bengal.

Referring to the nature of the alleged incidents, the petition claims that party workers have faced hostile public actions, including the throwing of eggs, stones and ink. Such acts, according to the petitioner, are designed not merely to cause physical harm but also to publicly disgrace and intimidate political opponents.

The PIL further alleges that in certain cases the violence has gone beyond symbolic acts of protest. It claims that some individuals associated with the party were unlawfully restrained, physically assaulted and subjected to degrading treatment by groups acting outside the framework of law.

Highlighting the seriousness of the allegations, the petition states that individuals have allegedly been forced to endure public humiliation and violence at the hands of mobs seeking to impose their own form of punishment. The plea argues that such incidents strike at the heart of constitutional governance and cannot be permitted in a democratic society governed by the rule of law.

The Trinamool Congress has now sought the intervention of the Calcutta High Court, contending that immediate judicial oversight is required to prevent further incidents and ensure protection of democratic freedoms.

The matter is expected to be taken up by the High Court on Wednesday.

With inputs from TOI