Kolkata, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad on Monday said he plans to apply for a licence to possess a pistol for self-defence, citing what he described as frequent egg attacks on party leaders allegedly by BJP cadres.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to his Bardhaman-Durgapur parliamentary constituency, Azad said he believed individuals had the right to protect themselves.
“Everyone has the right to self-defence. Given these circumstances, I am now forced to apply for arms licences to procure legal firearms for safety and security. I choose a pistol for protection. We too have the right to protect ourselves,” he said.
Referring to the alleged egg attacks, the former member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team said, “They stopped giving eggs in schools. Now people are being beaten with eggs. We are also taking a pistol licence for our own protection.”
“We are not people to be afraid of. We played cricket for India. We played cricket for the dignity of Bharat Mata,” he added.
Azad also criticised Ritabrata Banerjee, who he described as leading a rebel faction of Trinamool MLAs. “We know what Ritabrata did, what he said on the phone, what he did under whose pressure,” he said.
During his constituency visit, Azad discussed development plans and said he would meet party workers in the evening. He also has programmes scheduled for Tuesday and said the party would launch another campaign after Durga Puja.
Targeting the BJP government in West Bengal, Azad alleged that the situation in the state had deteriorated. “The situation in Bengal is very bad. There is no such situation even in Africa. There, pirates roam the sea. And here, pirates and robbers roam everywhere in the city, house, and street,” he said.
Responding to Azad’s remarks about firearms, BJP’s Durgapur Purba MLA Chandra Sekhar Banerjee said, “If he talks about keeping firearms, etc., we will take him across Bihar,” referring to Azad’s links to the neighbouring state.
The controversy comes amid incidents in which Trinamool leaders, former ministers and councillors arrested on various charges have faced protests, including people throwing eggs at them while they were being escorted by police. Protesters have also raised “thieves” slogans during some such incidents, with the practice being described as “egg therapy”.
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