Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee faced a hostile protest in Halisahar, North 24 Parganas, on Sunday, August 9, while she was travelling to meet the family of Birju Keot, a TMC worker who died after being detained by police.
Protesters surrounded her white SUV, raised slogans including “chor-chor” and allegedly hurled mud, slippers, stones and bricks at the vehicle. Mamata said the attack took place in front of police personnel and could have caused a fatal injury if the windows had been open, accusing the BJP and the state government of orchestrating a “conspiracy” and alleging that the police were protecting the ruling party.
TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee also accused the BJP of political violence, with Kalyan calling it an “attempt to murder”. The BJP has denied any involvement while condemning the incident, with state president Samik Bhattacharya saying the party had “absolutely no connection” with the throwing of mud, stones or slippers.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also rejected a BJP link, saying he saw neither BJP flags nor familiar party faces at the spot and describing the protest as an expression of public anger against Mamata. Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding Birju Keot’s death remain under investigation.
Keot’s family has alleged that he was assaulted in custody, while police said he became unwell in the lock-up and was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. A senior Barrackpore Police Commissionerate officer has said a departmental inquiry has begun and that authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report to establish the exact cause of death.
A Visit Turns Into Confrontation
Mamata Banerjee had travelled to Pramodnagar in Halisahar to meet the family of Birju Keot, the husband of former TMC councillor Zeni Sharma Keot. As her convoy reached the area, a crowd gathered around the vehicle and began shouting slogans against the former chief minister.
Reports and video footage from the incident show the white SUV being surrounded, with mud smeared on it and footwear and other objects being thrown towards the vehicle. Mamata alleged that large stones and bricks were also hurled at the car.
Speaking after reaching the area, she said, “Had the windows been open, I could have suffered a fatal head injury,” and alleged that the police remained “silent spectators”. She said she had informed the police about her visit but claimed that adequate security measures were not put in place.
Mamata subsequently met Keot’s wife and spoke with his elder brother before police escorted her vehicle out of the area. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee described the episode as an “attempt to murder”, alleging that stones were repeatedly thrown at the vehicle and that hundreds of BJP workers were present.
Abhishek Banerjee called it an instance of “political violence” and a “failure of governance”, while Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen questioned whether Mamata should have been prevented from visiting a grieving family after the death of a TMC worker in custody.
These claims, however, remain allegations: while the confrontation and objects being thrown at the vehicle have been reported, the available reporting does not independently establish that those involved were BJP workers or that the attack was ordered by the BJP or the chief minister.
Custody Death Fuels Political Row
The confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of the death of Birju Keot, who had been arrested by Halisahar police on allegations including extortion and assault and was remanded to five days of police custody.
According to The New Indian Express, Keot’s wife said he appeared healthy when she met him at the police station on Friday night and alleged that police personnel beat him after she left. Police sources, meanwhile, said Keot was found unwell inside the lock-up and was rushed to a state-run hospital in Kalyani, where doctors declared him dead; a possible cardiac arrest was mentioned, but the cause of death had not been officially confirmed. His body was sent for post-mortem examination.
His brother Shambhu Keot has since said the family’s priority is justice for Birju rather than political engagement. “Right now, I just want justice for my brother,” he said, alleging that the family saw multiple marks of beating on Birju’s body and demanding punishment for those responsible.
A senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has confirmed that a departmental inquiry has been initiated and said the administration is awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause of death. The political blame game over the convoy incident has meanwhile intensified.
Mamata accused the BJP of using a “lumpen force” and said she had lost faith in the local police. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya rejected the allegation, saying the BJP had “absolutely no connection” with the incident and that those responsible should face police action.
State minister Agnimitra Paul also condemned the attack, saying that political disagreements could not justify throwing stones or footwear at a former chief minister. Suvendu Adhikari similarly denied a BJP connection, saying he had not seen BJP flags or familiar BJP faces among the protesters and that the police team had “supported her properly”.
At the same time, Adhikari described the demonstration as an expression of public anger against Mamata and criticised her decision to visit the area, saying she should intervene when people seek her help rather than disrupt normal life.
The incident comes just months after the BJP ended the TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal. In the 2026 Assembly election, the BJP won 207 seats while the TMC was reduced to 80, and Adhikari defeated Mamata in Bhabanipur by 15,105 votes.
That dramatic transfer of power has sharpened the political significance of every confrontation involving the two sides, particularly when questions of policing, political violence and accountability are involved.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Whatever one’s political allegiance, throwing stones, bricks, mud or footwear at a political leader’s vehicle cannot become an acceptable form of democratic protest. Equally, allegations of police misconduct or political interference cannot be dismissed simply because they are made by an opposition party.
The death of Birju Keot in police custody deserves a transparent and credible investigation, with the post-mortem findings and departmental inquiry allowed to establish what happened rather than competing political narratives deciding the truth. If people responsible for attacking Mamata Banerjee’s convoy are identified, they should face due process irrespective of their political affiliation; if allegations of custodial assault are substantiated, those responsible must also be held accountable.
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