Kolkata: A bulldozer was deployed outside TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence Thursday as civic workers demolished a temporary bamboo shed erected over the footpath and removed an iron gate allegedly obstructing pedestrian movement.
A large contingent of Kolkata Police personnel and central forces was deployed outside the TMC national general secretary’s residence at 121, Kalighat Road, as municipal workers used a bulldozer to pull down the temporary structure.
Workers subsequently removed the bamboo poles and cleared the footpath.
An iron gate installed outside the boundary wall of the residence was also being dismantled using a gas cutter, following allegations that it had encroached on the footpath.
Responding to the development, Banerjee asserted that bulldozers cannot “silence my voice or break my resolve”.
“I will continue my fight against the Bangla Birodhis (anti-Bengal). I will neither retreat nor budge an inch until my last breath,” the Diamond Harbour MP said in a post on X.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh defended the action by the civic body.
“It is justified as people in the neighbourhood were facing lots of hardships. He (Abhishek) used to consider himself as being above the law,” Ghosh told reporters.
The civic action comes amid a politically charged standoff over the structure, with the TMC alleging police surveillance outside his residence and the BJP-led state government facing questions over the circumstances surrounding the demolition.
The controversy intensified Wednesday after Banerjee alleged that police personnel were conducting surveillance outside his residence using vehicles.
He also posted a video on social media to substantiate his claim.
Police personnel again went near the residence Wednesday evening. The TMC claimed that police had gone there to facilitate the removal of the shed.
Later that evening, Abhishek’s office staff began dismantling the temporary structure.
TMC spokesperson Arka Nag had said the shed was originally erected by the West Bengal Directorate of Security when Banerjee enjoyed Z-plus security cover to accommodate personnel assigned to his protection.
“The shed was constructed by police. With the withdrawal of the additional security cover, the structure is no longer required. Therefore, arrangements are being made on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee to remove it,” Nag had said.
The party maintained that the structure served a security-related purpose and was not an unauthorised construction put up by the MP.
However, the civic authorities moved in Thursday morning to complete the removal of the structure and clear the stretch of footpath.
The issue has also triggered concerns among local people, several of whom had questioned the presence of the temporary structure, alleging that it restricted pedestrian movement and forced people to negotiate a congested stretch of road.
The controversy dates back to November 6, when tensions flared in Kalighat during celebrations marking Banerjee’s birthday.
A large number of people were seen gathering beneath the temporary shed during the celebrations.
The developments have acquired a political edge as they come against the backdrop of a change of government in West Bengal, with the BJP now in power and the TMC seeking to position itself as the principal opposition force.
Banerjee’s allegation of police surveillance outside his residence Wednesday, followed by the deployment of a bulldozer and a substantial police presence during the civic operation, has added another dimension to the confrontation.
State BJP minister Animitra Paul, in her reaction, said, “Why should a citizen get special treatment? Abhishek Banerjee is also a citizen. You have put up illegal fencing in front of your residence. Why should you be given special privileges? Unlike the previous government, we value human lives and have removed such obstructions for common people’s safety,” Paul said.
She also challenged Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee to produce evidence to substantiate their allegations, saying courts had repeatedly asked them to provide proof.