Kolkata: A drunk civic volunteer, armed with a knife, came within a few metres of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee as she stepped out of her Kalighat home on Tuesday to inaugurate a Durga Puja, the first by her this season. After an FIR was lodged, Kalighat police detained Tannishtha Saha for questioning. Banerjee is a Z-plus protectee.In her police complaint, Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said that around 6 pm, Saha “reportedly known as civic volunteer and a drug addict” approached Banerjee violently and tried to attack her with a knife and claimed to be her niece. She hurled abuses at Banerjee and even lay down on the road, the complaint said.Kolkata Police did not issue a formal statement but a senior officer at Lalbazar said they are in the process of launching an investigation. “We are trying to fix the sequence of events. The accused has been detained and an FIR is being drawn up. We are speaking to eyewitnesses, including those in her security. We have also collected CCTV footage from the area,” he said.Banerjee was heading to the Kalighat Milan Sangha pandal near her residence to inaugurate the puja. Several others were walking along with her when the alleged attempted attack took place. The former CM remained unfazed after the incident and walked down to the pandal, where she summoned a child to cut the ribbon. She offered prayers and was seen chatting with the locals.“Such an attack on a former CM who enjoys Z+ security right outside her residence is unprecedented. An independent probe must be carried out to ascertain if this was pre-planned,” said former KMC MMiC Baiswanor Chattopadhyay, adding that this was the second attack on Banerjee after the one in Halisahar, where her vehicle was vandalised on Aug 9.Trinamool national spokesperson Saket Gokhale said, “A drug addict reached Mamata Banerjee’s residence today and tried to attack her with a knife. This is the condition in Bengal where even a Z+ protectee and 3-time CM is not safe. Was this a planned conspiracy by BJP because Didi is determined to finish them off in Delhi?”
