The Trinamool Congress on Saturday intensified its attack on the BJP over alleged post-poll violence in Bengal, with senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee accusing BJP workers of torching the house of Asian Games gold medal-winning athlete and TMC leader Swapna Barman, even as the party dispatched fact-finding teams to multiple districts to meet families of workers allegedly targeted after the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Taking to X, Abhishek Banerjee alleged that Barman was targeted by “BJP goons” because she joined the TMC and contested the elections on the party’s ticket.

“An athlete who brought glory to the nation is being repaid with violence, intimidation and fear, simply because she chose to stand with the Trinamool Congress,” he wrote.

The post from the TMC’s national general secretary, which stated “India FAILED YOU, dear Swapna”, came a day after an exasperated Barman took to social media to say that “joining politics was a mistake”, following the alleged arson attack at her Kaliaganj home in Uttar Dinajpur district.

On Friday, Barman alleged that a property owned by her, built of corrugated tin and located next to the house she currently resides in, was set on fire by unidentified miscreants. The affected property was inhabited by one of her brothers who, she claimed, had been receiving death threats from “unidentified goons” after the May 4 declaration of Assembly poll results.

Barman alleged that she too was threatened with “dire consequences, including rape”.

“Had I known this would happen, I would have never joined politics. Today they set my house on fire,” she later posted on social media.

Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP over the incident.

“THIS is the grim reality under @BJP4India’s watch. THIS is the ‘Parivartan’ they promised,” he said.

“The @BJP4India govt must answer. This CANNOT become the new normal. If supporting the Trinamool Congress now means risking your safety, your family and even your home, WHERE ARE WE HEADED, AS A NATION? If this is how an athlete who brought glory to India is treated for her political choices, the state of democracy should worry EVERY Indian,” he added.

The district police confirmed the blaze and said firefighting personnel had doused the fire. A probe has been launched into the incident.

Barman won a historic gold medal in the women’s heptathlon at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, becoming the first Indian heptathlete to achieve the feat.

She joined the TMC on February 27 this year and contested the Assembly elections from Rajganj in Jalpaiguri district, but lost to BJP candidate Dinesh Sarkar by over 21,000 votes.

The Rajbanshi athlete, formerly employed with the North Frontier Railway in the Alipurduar division, was later dismissed from service for allegedly violating government service rules prohibiting political involvement by employees, after it was found that she had joined the TMC without formally resigning first.

“Those who stuck to me before the elections, supported me and rooted for my victory, flipped overnight after my party and I lost and moved to the other camp,” she alleged.

State minister Dilip Ghosh said Barman should distance herself from “dishonest company”.

“She is a respected athlete and should stay out of politics. She should especially avoid the company of those who are the worst representations of this world because it doesn’t suit her stature. She should stand for her country with dignity and the BJP will be standing by her,” Dilip Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, the TMC said its fact-finding teams had visited South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur and Hooghly districts, where party workers were allegedly attacked by “BJP-backed goons” following the elections.

The party formed three teams to gather reports from workers and supporters who allegedly faced violence and intimidation after the TMC’s electoral setback in the recently concluded Assembly elections. Of the state’s 294 Assembly seats, the party won only 80.

Speaking to reporters, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said one of the teams, including herself, was travelling to Moyna, Tamluk and Haldia in Purba Medinipur district to meet affected party workers and their families.

“Our workers, common people and supporters are being subjected to atrocities in several places after the poll. Many people have been forced to flee their homes. Houses have been vandalised, and several party offices remain shut,” Dola Sen claimed.

She said the fact-finding teams were constituted on the instructions of party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Another team led by Sushmita Dev, and also comprising Tanmoy Ghosh, Sajda Ahmed and Prosun Banerjee, visited affected areas in South 24 Parganas district, while a separate team was assigned to Hooghly.

“We are trying to reach out to those who have been attacked and displaced so that we can stand by them,” Dola Sen said.

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the Bengal government to “strictly maintain law and order at the ground level” in the wake of TMC allegations of widespread post-poll violence in the state.

The court also directed police to ensure the safety of those who allegedly fled their homes fearing retribution violence and facilitate their safe return, irrespective of political affiliation.

“We hope the high court order will be implemented by the government,” Dola Sen said.

In a series of posts on X, the TMC claimed that its teams were visiting violence-hit districts to assess the ground situation and meet affected families.

“The police did not take any action despite our leaders complaining that there was widespread violence and a reign of terror across Kulpi,” the party alleged in one post.

The party also alleged that “people continue to live in fear” in the Nakunda gram panchayat area of Goghat Assembly constituency in Hooghly district.

“On May 9, village panchayat member Chaina Bag’s husband, Sahadeb Bag, was murdered by BJP goons. His body was found beside the local party office. What action has the police taken? When will justice be served?” the TMC said.

In another post, the party shared a video of a woman worker narrating her ordeal to a fact-finding team, describing it as “a chilling testimony to the inhumane torture unleashed by BJP-backed goons”.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

The TMC further claimed that its teams had uncovered “disturbing and deeply alarming truths in Hooghly”.

“To every one of our workers and their families, we make this solemn promise: we will pursue every single avenue of justice and ensure that every perpetrator is held accountable. This politics of fear, violence and terror will not go unanswered,” the party said on X.

The party also alleged that workers in Moyna, Tamluk and Haldia had faced “relentless intimidation, violence and targeted atrocities” while “the state police remained silent spectators”.

“Amit Shah’s Central Forces were conspicuously absent when people needed protection the most,” the TMC alleged.