Mamata Banerjee confronts FIR as West Bengal TMC turmoil escalates

On June 7, police in West Bengal registered a First Information Report (FIR) against former chief minister Mamata Banerjee for remarks delivered at a March 9 rally in Kolkata's Dharna Mancha. The complaint, filed by Tushar Kanti Das, alleges the speech could incite unrest, disturb communal harmony and threaten democratic order under sections 196(1), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities said the investigation is in its early stages.

TMC leaders described the FIR as politically motivated while the party wrestles with internal dissent. Nineteen TMC MPs are reported to have sent a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker seeking a separate parliamentary bloc, and a faction of state legislators backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee for Leader of Opposition. In response, Banerjee dissolved all party committees on June 5 and announced a major organisational restructuring. Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of creating a climate of fear around the case.