Mamata appears in lawyer’s robe at HC case on post-poll clashes, faces ‘chor’ chants
Telegraph | 15 May 2026
Bengal’s former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday faced slogans of “chor” (thief) as she donned the lawyer’s robe and appeared before the Calcutta High Court to argue a case in connection with alleged violence and attacks on Trinamool offices after the Assembly election verdict earlier this month.
She reached the high court accompanied by senior Trinamool Congress leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kalyan Banerjee.
According to the petition filed by advocate Shirshanya Bandyopadhyay on behalf of the TMC, several party leaders and workers were allegedly forced to flee their homes after the polls, while many of them were attacked "because of their association with the Trinamool Congress".
The petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court on May 12. The matter came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Parthasarathi Sen.
In a post on X, the TMC said: "Our Hon'ble Chairperson Smt @MamataOfficial personally reached the Calcutta High Court today to argue in a matter concerning the widespread post-poll violence unleashed across Bengal by @BJP4Bengal."
The party asserted that once again, Banerjee has shown what "truly sets her apart".
"She NEVER abandons the people of Bengal in their hour of need. She NEVER stops fighting for truth, justice, and constitutional values. And time and again, she rises above the politics of hatred with unmatched COMPASSION, COURAGE and CONVICTION.
"Whether confronting the injustice of SIR or standing firm against the unruly conduct of @BJP4India, she continues to prove that there is truly NO LEADER LIKE HER in the country today," the TMC said.
BJP leaders have maintained that after the party’s victory, it became their responsibility to curb violence and signal that both the power structure and political culture in Bengal had changed.
The situation became more complicated as, in several areas, groups allegedly carrying BJP flags vandalised Trinamool offices, looted property and attempted to take control of local extortion networks. BJP leaders claimed many of those involved were actually Trinamool workers posing as BJP supporters after the election results.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and other party leaders repeatedly alleged that Trinamool workers disguised as BJP supporters were behind the attacks.
Bhattacharya also said police would act against anyone found extorting people in the BJP’s name. The saffron party's patriarch, the RSS, said it had launched initiatives to ensure the rule of law in Bengal in the aftermath of the Assembly polls, including monitoring incidents of violence across the state and coordinating with the police to protect Trinamool leaders.
Chaos at Calcutta HC after lawyers shout "chor" slogans
Chaotic scenes unfolded around Mamata Banerjee, who was trying to exit the premises following a post-poll violence hearing, faced “thief” slogans from a section of lawyers.
TMC leader and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who accompanied her to court, alleged that lawyers under the influence of the BJP attempted to heckle the former chief minister, and the party's legal team had a tough time safely escorting her out.
“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.
“If this can happen to Mamata Banerjee, imagine what’s happening currently with the ordinary workers of the TMC across Bengal,” Kalyan Banerjee said.