FIR Filed Against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee Over Controversial Election Speeches

The Roots of the Legal Trouble

Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and MP Abhishek

Banerjee is facing fresh legal trouble following the registration of a First

Information Report (FIR) at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station.

The case stems from a complaint filed on May 5, 2026, by a social activist

named Rajib Sarkar, just a day after the high-stakes 2026 West Bengal

Assembly election results were declared. Sarkar alleged that Banerjee

delivered highly provocative and inflammatory speeches during major

campaign rallies and roadshows held across the state between late April and

early May.

The Words Under Scrutiny

The heart of the complaint focuses on specific remarks made by Banerjee that

quickly went viral on digital media and his official Facebook page. Sarkar

pointed to a speech from a Kolkata roadshow where Banerjee reportedly

targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders. In that

address, the TMC leader allegedly challenged opposition figures to face the

public without their central security cover, asking which "godfather from

Delhi" would come to save them. The petitioner argued that this language

wasn't just typical campaign rhetoric, but a deliberate attempt to incite hatred,

intimidate opponents, and disrupt public peace during an already tense

election season.

The Legal Charges Filed

Taking the complaint forward, the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police officially

registered the case on May 15, 2026. They have applied several serious,non-bailable sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with

specific election laws. The charges leveled against Banerjee include:

● Section 196 (BNS): Promoting enmity and hatred between different

groups, a non-bailable charge that can carry up to three years in prison.

● Section 351 (BNS): Criminal intimidation.

● Section 353(1)(c) (BNS): Spreading false information or rumors to

spark public disorder.

● Sections 123(2) and 125 of the Representation of the People Act:

Misconduct and promoting animosity during an active election

campaign.

Political Fallout and Next Steps

Unsurprisingly, the news has sparked a massive political storm across West

Bengal. Opposition leaders, particularly from the BJP, have condemned the

speeches and accused the ruling party of trying to create an atmosphere of

fear. On the other side, the TMC has dismissed the legal action as a

politically motivated move by opponents who are unable to fight them

democratically. The investigation is now being led by Sub-Inspector Somnath

Singha Roy of the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime unit, who will be reviewing the

digital recordings and speech transcripts provided by the complainant.