Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday alleged that a major security breach had taken place at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport during his return from Delhi, claiming that armed individuals were detained near the airport shortly after he landed.
The Diamond Harbour MP raised the issue in a social media post a day after clashes broke out between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outside the airport. Describing the episode as "shocking", Banerjee questioned how individuals allegedly carrying weapons were able to access the airport premises. "Last night at Kolkata Airport, shortly after I landed from Delhi, a shocking incident took place. Armed individuals were apprehended, leading to serious questions about security and the lengths to which some are willing to go," Banerjee wrote. "You are unlikely to see this story covered adequately by the mainstream media. Watch the clip and draw your own conclusions," he added while sharing an image that purportedly showed a man carrying a firearm.
The controversy stems from an incident on Friday night when supporters of the TMC and BJP gathered outside the airport ahead of Banerjee's arrival from the national capital. The situation soon turned tense, with workers from both parties becoming involved in a confrontation near the exit area. Police and security personnel intervened after the altercation escalated, bringing the situation under control and escorting Banerjee out of the airport under security cover.
A day later, senior Trinamool leaders intensified their attack, demanding a thorough investigation into the incident and raising questions over the state's law-and-order situation. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien publicly questioned whether the episode amounted to an attempt on Banerjee's life, while party MP Sagarika Ghose called for immediate police action against those allegedly involved.
The Trinamool Congress also issued a statement alleging that one of the individuals present at the airport had intended to target the party leader. "A BJP Bengal goon armed with weapons possibly planned to murder our National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee," the party said in a post on social media. The party further alleged that the incident reflected a serious deterioration in law and order under the BJP government in West Bengal. Several videos that later surfaced on social media appeared to show a man dressed in a yellow kurta attempting to conceal what looked like a firearm beneath a cloth. In the footage, a group of people can also be seen confronting and restraining the individual before taking him away. However, the authenticity of the videos, as well as the exact sequence of events surrounding the incident, could not be independently verified.
TMC supporters who had assembled at the airport to receive Abhishek Banerjee also alleged that several party workers were harassed during the commotion. Some claimed that women supporters were manhandled amid the chaos that unfolded outside the terminal.
The incident has added another layer of tension to the increasingly bitter political rivalry between the TMC and the BJP following the change of government in West Bengal after the Assembly elections. Trinamool leaders have repeatedly alleged that attacks and protests targeting their leaders have increased since the party lost power after 15 years in office. The BJP, however, has denied any involvement in such incidents and rejected allegations that its workers were behind attacks on opposition leaders.
