Attack On Didi: Why #KodiKathi Is Trending!

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hogged the headlines on Wednesday following the high drama that unravelled after she filed her nomination papers from Nandigram for the upcoming Assembly elections.

She alleged that 4-5 BJP activists attacked her, injuring her in the left leg and causing pain in the waist. Within minutes, the images showing her collapsed in the car and being rushed to the hospital went viral on social media.

However, the whole episode raised questions about how could activists of the opposition parties attack the Chief Minister when she would be heavily guarded by the police. It also raised doubts about what were her body guards doing all the time. It is significant to note that none of the visuals of her attack got leaked in the media. Only pictures of aftermath of the attack were found on the social media with Didi on the hospital bed.

Significantly, there were no comments on social media sympathising with Banerjee following the attack and injury which means even the netizens considered the attack a drama. People suspected the role of Mamata’s election strategist Prashant Kishor behind the entire episode.

Now, this reminds one of a similar attack two years ago, on Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was the Opposition leader then, with a chicken knife at Vizag airport. This attack also occurred ahead of Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. At that time, there were allegations that the ruling TDP was behind the attack on Jagan.

Subsequently, Jagan was voted to power and he became the Chief Minister but there was no significant action initiated with regard to the case. The accused in the case began roaming freely with impunity. Then there was doubt that Jagan’s election strategist PK could have drawn the sketch of the chicken knife drama and as time passed by, the suspicions gained strength.

In this backdrop, YCP detractors are drawing similarity between the attack on Jagan and Mamata. There are allegations that both the incidents were premeditated and were planned by PK. Even people in North India are levelling the same allegations.

Delhi Chief Minister Aravind Kejriwal, who was PK’s customer at one time, was also attacked during campaigning and people are drawing similarity between the three incidents.