The former West Bengal chief minister said on Saturday, 26 September, that she was being kept under “house arrest” and would not be allowed to leave for the rally. She said she intended to address the meeting despite the alleged restrictions.
Banerjee accused police and the BJP-led state government of ignoring attacks on Trinamool Congress leaders and workers. She also alleged that BJP supporters had taken over the route to the venue and that police personnel were absent. These were her claims; the source report did not include an independent confirmation from police.
The Trinamool Congress separately said its MLA Kunal Ghosh’s car was surrounded by people carrying black flags in Uttarpara, in Hooghly district, as he travelled to Serampore. Party sources alleged that the group shouted slogans and threw eggs and stones at the vehicle. The BJP has rejected the party’s allegations of responsibility for such incidents.
Banerjee said the rally had been permitted by a court and that police and the administration were responsible for ensuring it could proceed safely. She described the alleged incidents as atrocities and said she would go to the venue.
The dispute unfolded ahead of the Serampore meeting, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP offering opposing accounts of the events on the route. The source report did not state whether authorities had opened an investigation or announced any arrests.