A Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament has filed a new petition in the Calcutta High Court after facing another egg pelleting attack while visiting her constituency. The case was mentioned before Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, following an incident on September 16 that violated a court-ordered protection measure.
The MP’s legal team argued that despite an earlier court directive, issued on September 1, requiring police deployment for her safety, the attack still occurred. The ruling had mandated two officers be assigned to escort her during constituency visits, provided she gave 48 hours’ notice. The judge responded sharply to the lawyer’s plea, stating, “What are you praying for? I have already passed an order.” The matter is now tentatively scheduled for September 22.
This is not the first time the MP has sought court intervention over such incidents. She has repeatedly alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party workers in West Bengal have targeted her and other rival politicians with eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, stones and other objects since the BJP came to power in May. Her counsel highlighted that these disruptions interfere with her parliamentary duties, particularly in her constituency of Krishnanagar.
Read Also: Delhi High Court allows direct appeals against UAPA property seizures
The Court, at the time, had also orally warned the State to tackle politically driven egg pelting attacks with an iron hand. ‘If tomorrow parliament is subjected to egg pelting and other sources of harassment when she enters her constituency, what will happen to other persons who show allegiance to rival political parties?” The state’s Additional Advocate General acknowledged at the time that existing protocols were in place, though the last registered complaint against her dated back to July 2.
Her legal team had previously raised similar concerns before the Supreme Court, which dismissed the plea with a pointed remark: “You are a member of parliament? Having taken the plunge into politics, you fear eggs? When our freedom fighters have taken bullets on their chest? These are applications that should not come before this court at all.” The MP later referenced this comment in a social media post, describing the September 16 attack and stating that police, despite her having four officers present, did not intervene.
