Mamata Banerjee, a three-time former chief minister of Bengal, appeared before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday to argue a case in connection with alleged post-poll violence and attacks on party offices.
Just as she was leaving the court premises, slogans chanting “chor”, “chor”, allegedly directed at her, went up.
“They have assaulted me,” Mamata Banerjee told the waiting reporters, pointing at the agitated crowd.
Soon after the ugly episode, she left the court premises.
Chor Chor slogans raised at Mamata Banerjee at Calcutta High Court. pic.twitter.com/p1oNqaR05Q
— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) May 14, 2026
The Trinamool criticised the development.
Trinamool leader and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who accompanied Mamata Banerjee 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 chief minister 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 Trinamool across Bengal,” Kalyan Banerjee said.
Trinamool spokesperson echoed the leader’s sentiment.
“A three-time chief minister of West Bengal went to the Calcutta High Court today to seek justice for the victims of the post-poll violence. If she can be heckled in such a manner and that too within the court premises, it is easily understandable how far the democratic ambience in the state will prevail in the new BJP regime,” Arup Chakraborty, Trinamool spokesperson, said.
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee made a forceful argument at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, seeking the court’s intervention in preventing post-poll violence, “especially against women and the people from the minority community”, since the results of the recently-concluded West Bengal Assembly polls were declared on May 4.
The matter pertains to a Public Interest Litigation, or PIL, filed by lawyer Shirshanya Bandyopadhyay on behalf of Trinamool.
According to the petitioner, several Trinamool 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 on Thursday.
The former chief minister arrived at the high court sporting the traditional black lawyer’s jacket and white collar-band on her signature white saree with a blue border.
“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 Trinamool posted on X.
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.
Once again, she has shown what truly sets her apart –
She NEVER abandons the… pic.twitter.com/8OkszMxaYa
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 14, 2026
“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,” the post added.
The former chief minister told the court that 10 people have lost their lives in the post-poll violence.
“My humble regards to the high court. I am a member of Bar council. I am appearing as a lawyer. I am assigning Kalyan Banerjee. I want to hand over the court details of the 10 people who have lost their lives including SC, ST, minorities. They have ransacked houses. SC and ST are under fear,” Mamata Banerjee told the court.
“I would ask the court to give an order to the police to take complaint of the victim. Even I am being threatened that they will kill me”, she said.
The 71-year-old leader, who lost her seat to Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabhanipur, urged the court to direct the police to take action in the matter.
“They are burning houses, killing people in front of the police. It is not a bulldozer state. Please give an interim order to the police that they should lodge FIR regarding all poll-related violence cases,” she said.
Kalyan Banerjee too complained about the violence.
“Widespread ruckus has been going on in different places of the state… No Trinamool Congress workers are not staying at home for the time being. They all are being targeted,” Kalyan Banerjee claimed before the court.
Earlier this year, Mamata Banerjee had appeared in the Supreme Court during a hearing in a case related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal.
On that day, she had also presented a brief argument before the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant. However, she did not appear as counsel in that matter.
Even after the defeat of her party, Trinamool Congress, and her personal defeat in Bhabanipur, she did not follow the tradition of submitting her resignation to the Governor, and argued that she was refraining from resigning as, according to her, the results of the Assembly polls were not a true reflection of the public mandate.
However, Governor RN Ravi dissolved the earlier state Assembly, which automatically led to the dissolution of the earlier cabinet helmed by her.