Chaotic scenes erupted at the Calcutta High Court when former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee faced lawyers shouting “thief” slogans during her exit. The uproar followed a violence PIL hearing that intensified tensions within the court premises.
Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging post-election violence in the state.
The petition sought directions to the court to ensure protection for residents and accused the police of failing to take action against attacks and intimidation.
Presenting her submissions before Chief Justice Sujoy Pal, Banerjee urged immediate safeguards, saying,
“My humble submission is to please protect the people of Bengal. This is not a bulldozer state,”
The case relates to allegations of assaults on political workers and attacks on party offices following the high-stakes elections in which the TMC ended its 15-year rule and the BJP came to power in West Bengal.
Banerjee, who completed her law degree from Jogesh Chandra College of Law in 1982, also told the court that it was her first appearance before the High Court and added that she was contesting the matter in her capacity as a lawyer.
Chaotic scenes erupted at the Calcutta High Court afternoon after former West Bengal chief minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee allegedly faced “thief slogans” from a group of lawyers as she tried to leave the premises following a hearing related to post-poll violence.
TMC leader and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who accompanied her, claimed lawyers influenced by the BJP attempted to heckle Banerjee.
He said the former chief minister’s legal team had to work hard to ensure her safe departure.
“The court is not a place to publicly brand someone a thief or a dacoit. We can also say similar things about opposition party leaders. The former CM had gone to the court to argue a petition, and we faced immense difficulty while leaving the place after the hearing got over “
Banerjee, along with former minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, appeared before the high court to argue a case concerning alleged post-election violence and attacks on TMC offices.
The case stems from a public interest litigation filed by advocate Shirshanya Bandyopadhyay on May 12, alleging that party offices were attacked and that TMC workers were subjected to violence after the announcement of the 2026 Assembly election results.
The petitioner alleged that after the polls, several TMC leaders and workers were forced to flee their homes, and that many were targeted because of their association with the Trinamool Congress.
The matter was heard before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Parthasarathi Sen.
The petition was filed by advocate Sirsanya Banerjee, the son of TMC leader-cum-advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay, and also a TMC candidate from the Uttarpara assembly constituency.
The petitioner alleged incidents of post-poll violence in several areas, including attacks on party offices and the displacement of workers.
The TMC has approached the Calcutta High Court seeking judicial intervention over alleged post-poll violence across West Bengal after the BJP’s victory in the assembly elections.
The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. In the plea, the party alleged multiple incidents of arson, vandalism, and attacks on TMC workers and party offices in different parts of the state following the election results.
The petition requested directions for the protection of affected party workers and a proper investigation into the alleged violence.
Reports of clashes and vandalism were reported from several locations including Kolkata, Howrah, and district towns.
Both the BJP and the TMC have reportedly traded allegations regarding the incidents. TMC leaders claimed that several party workers were killed after the election results and demanded a court-monitored probe.
In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP won 207 seats, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule, while the TMC managed to secure 80 seats.