Mamata Banerjee head injury: Doctor clarifies his ‘push from behind’ statement
The West Bengal CM bled from her forehead and suffered a cut on the nose after falling at her Kalighat residence on Thursday
The doctor, whose statement triggered speculations that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was “pushed from behind” at her south Kolkata residence on Thursday evening that led to a head injury, today sought to clear the air and said that a “sensation of being pushed from behind” led to her fall.
Banerjee bled from her forehead and suffered a cut on the nose after falling at her Kalighat residence, her brother Kartick Banerjee told the media. She was rushed to the state-run SSKM Hospital around 7.30pm and was discharged around 9.30pm with three stitches on the forehead and one on the nose. A series of tests confirmed that her condition was stable.
Briefing the media late on Thursday night, Dr Manimoy Bandopadhyay, director of Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research at SSKM Hospital, said in the medical bulletin. “Chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee reported to our hospital today around 7.30pm with a history of fall within the vicinity of her home due to some push from behind. She had a cerebral concussion and a sharp cut over her forehead which was bleeding profusely...”
On Friday, Dr Bandopadhyay said, “This is not an issue. May be our statement was misinterpreted. It was like a sensation of being pushed from behind that led to the fall. It happens when a person falls.”
Kajari Banerjee, a Trinamool Congress councillor and Kartick’s wife, told reporters something similar. “We don’t know what exactly happened, but we heard that someone pushed from behind,” she said.
The statements triggered speculations of a conspiracy to attack the chief minister ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, reminiscent of the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls when she suffered a fracture in a leg.
The Kolkata Police has maintained complete silence on the matter although the chief minister is provided with Z-Plus category security.
“No member of the chief minister’s family has lodged any complaint,” a city police officer said on conditions of anonymity.
Dr Bandopadhyay and his team visited the CM’s house on Friday to check on her condition, and advised her complete rest.
In March 2021, Banerjee suffered a leg injury in an accident in East Midnapore when she was campaigning in Nandigram. She did the rest of the campaign sitting in a wheelchair.
