WestBengal : Heavy security deployment outside TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s residence ahead of her planned visit to Baruipur has triggered a fresh political storm, with the Trinamool Congress accusing authorities of attempting to restrict her movement after the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in South 24 Parganas.

Central forces were deployed outside Mamata Banerjee’s residence on Saturday before she was scheduled to travel to Baruipur, where the brutal crime has sparked widespread outrage. The heightened security prompted sharp reactions from TMC leaders, who alleged that the move was politically motivated.

TMC MP Dola Sen questioned whether the security arrangement amounted to an attempt to place the former West Bengal chief minister under “house arrest.” Calling the situation a “super emergency,” she said Mamata Banerjee, whom she described as a mass leader, had intended to visit the grieving family after the horrific incident and could not be stopped by such measures.

“What is going on in Bengal? Have they house arrested Didi? Will this stop her? Such heavy police deployment without any reason is unacceptable. This is nothing short of a super emergency,” Dola Sen told reporters.

Senior TMC leader Madan Mitra also criticised the security deployment, stating that Mamata Banerjee was only meeting party workers at her residence and questioned the necessity of such an extensive police presence. He added that the Baruipur victim deserved justice just as strongly as victims in other high-profile cases.

The political confrontation intensified further after TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a blistering attack on the BJP over the Baruipur case. In a post on X, he alleged that the BJP had failed to uphold its promises of ensuring women’s safety and claimed that political influence appeared to be overshadowing the pursuit of justice.

Abhishek Banerjee said the incident reflected a system where those accused of heinous crimes seemed to believe they enjoyed political protection, adding that justice appeared to be selective. He also accused the BJP of maintaining silence over the incident while demanding accountability in other cases, calling the situation “extremely shameful.”

The controversy comes in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur’s Surjyapur Haat area. The crime has sparked massive public outrage, protests and political slugfests, with demands for swift justice dominating the discourse. An SIT has been constituted to investigate the case as political tensions continue to escalate over both the crime and the security arrangements surrounding Mamata Banerjee’s planned visit.