How the Mighty Fell: Justice Katju on the Political Decline of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee
- From Power to Public Backlash: The Rise and Fall of Bengal’s Political Dynasty
- Justice Katju’s Take on TMC’s Defeat: Power, Hubris and Political Reckoning
- The Fall of a Political Empire: Lessons from West Bengal’s 2026 Verdict
- When Power Turns Against Itself: Justice Katju Reflects on the Banerjees’ Downfall
- From Crown Prince to Public Anger: Abhishek Banerjee and the Limits of Political Power
Political Power and Public Retribution: Justice Katju on West Bengal’s Changing Landscape
How Have the Mighty Fallen? A Commentary on Power, Corruption and Democratic Accountability
Justice Markandey Katju reflects on the rise and alleged fall of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, examining power, corruption allegations, public discontent, and the lessons of democratic accountability in West Bengal politics.
How have the mighty fallen!
By Justice Markandey Katju
Abhishek Banerjee was the Crown Prince of West Bengal, anointed by the Empress, his aunt Mamata Banerjee, who appointed him the national general secretary of her party, the Trinamul Congress (TMC), and made him an MP. This pair of royals thought they would rule West Bengal forever, forgetting Omar Khayyam's rubaiyat :
"They say the lion and lizards keep the Court where Jamshed gloried and drank deep
And Behram, that mighty hunter, the wild ass stamps over his head, but cannot break his sleep."
To consolidate their rule, this duo created an army of goons, like Hitler's SA, who would terrorise the people, demand 'protection money' from businessmen, loot shops, and beat up political opponents.
There was a lawyer in Allahabad High Court ( where I practised before becoming a Judge in 1991 ) who would insult and terrorise judges, and benefited from this behaviour. He would openly say '' Mujhe gundai phali hai '' ( i.e. hooliganism has benefited me ). Mamata and Abhishek could say the same.
Scam followed scam under Mamata's rule, e.g. the high-profile Sarada scam.
Abhishek Banerjee himself faces multiple allegations of corruption and misconduct. These center around major inquiries into financial impropriety, including the West Bengal cash-for-jobs scam and a coal smuggling case, both of which have prompted ongoing investigations by central agencies
Ultimately, the people of West Bengal became so fed up of the two that they threw them out unceremoniously in the 2026 elections. Of course, they are complaining of rigging, but have they ever introspected and thought of their own misdeeds for 15 years, which so alienated and antagonised the people of West Bengal against them?
One is reminded of the lines in Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, where Ravan told his brother Kumbhakaran :
''Sarbas khay bhog kar nana
Samar bhoomi bhay ballabh praana ''
One is also reminded of the lines from a poem of the Hindi poet Bhushan, which depict the plight of the mighty who are now fallen :
''ऊंचे घोर मंदर के अंदर रहन वारी,
ऊंचे घोर मंदर के अंदर रहाती हैं।
कंद मूल à¤ोग करें कंद मूल à¤ोग करें
तीन बेर खातीं, ते वे तीन बेर खाती हैं।
à¤ूषन शिथिल अंग à¤ूषन शिथिल अंग,
बिजन डुलातीं ते वे बिजन डुलाती हैं।
à¤ूषन à¤à¤¨à¤¤ सिवराज बीर तेरे त्रास,
नगन जड़ातीं ते वे नगन जड़ाती हैं॥ ''
Recently, Abhishek was heckled by a crowd of local people shouting, ''chor, chor'', who threw eggs and stones at him (compelling him to wear a helmet) when he was going to meet his party workers in Sonapur, 24 Parganas.
I am not a supporter of violence, but historical experience shows that when an autocrat terrorises the people and causes them terrible suffering, then on his downfall, the people will turn on him. This happened to the fascist dictator Mussolini, who ruled Italy and terrorised Italians from 1922 to 1945, and caused them terrible suffering. He was arrested on 27th April 1945 by partisans when he was trying to flee to Switzerland with his mistress, Clara Petacchi. Both were executed the next day, and people kicked, spat, and urinated on their dead bodies, strung up upside down.
I am far from saying that Abhishek deserves the same fate as Mussolini. I am only saying that Newton's third law applies to politics too: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, if you terrorise the people, expect a reaction from the people someday.
(Justice Katju is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chairman of the Press Council of India. These are his personal views.)
