Kolkata, Aug 27 (PTI) TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s private guards, supporters and some party leaders on Thursday scuffled with police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, trying to prevent them from entering the Lok Sabha MP’s office on Camac Street and dismantling an “unauthorised” billboard.
The billboard, bearing TMC signage, set up on an iron structure facing the road on the top floor of the building, was dismantled by the KMC personnel after police forced their way inside.
The TMC alleged the police barged into the office with an “illegal” notice, assaulted senior leaders and heckled party supporters and office staff.
“The clothes of women security personnel were torn by the raiding team,” the party alleged.
Some TMC supporters and Banerjee’s office staff were detained and removed from the spot for “trying to obstruct public servants from carrying out their duty”.
According to sources, the joint raid by the police and KMC officials was conducted after the Kolkata Police lodged a suo motu complaint with the civic body that the billboard at Banerjee’s office had been installed illegally.
Based on that complaint, KMC officials from the municipal body’s advertising department, accompanied by local police, reached the premises to remove the structure. They maintained that their action was in accordance with municipal regulations.
Abhishek Banerjee, who was present at the premises at the time of the raid, was seen engaged in a heated exchange with the officials. He termed the civic body’s action a “political vendetta”, alleging that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was “fearful” of Mamata Banerjee’s party.
“This is an attempt to finish off the Trinamool Congress. Why is the BJP so afraid? We are not allowed to hold party meetings and rallies. Leaders are being attacked, party offices demolished, and billboards dismantled.
“Why fear us so much? I want to tell Suvendu Adhikari that we are a party of grass and flower (Trinamool’s poll symbol). The more you cut the grass, the more it grows,” he said.
He dared the officials to “show the copy of the order”.
“If required, we will move court. Will the BJP decide where the signboard should be installed on a private property?” an exasperated Banerjee posed.
He argued that dismantling of such a structure can only be carried out after a court has heard out the aggrieved party and passed an order to that effect.
Banerjee alleged that there are many billboards above shops on Camac Street, including those of the BJP, which the police and KMC have shown no interest in removing.
“There are so many billboards installed on footpaths. No one will remove them. Those involved in constructing illegal buildings have been forgiven for all their sins.
“Why? Because they are now in the BJP’s pocket. We will move the high court against this action of the police and their hooliganism. No one is above the Constitution,” he said.
The raiding team, which was initially stopped by Banerjee and his supporters questioning the validity of the order they carried, left the spot and returned shortly with a fresh order.
They were accompanied by a reinforced police contingent, which forced its way inside the building and all the way to the roof to remove the hoarding.
“The police are more eager than the KMC to get inside. They say they have come for an inspection, but they carried a gas cutter instead of measuring tapes.
“The order stated that a photograph (of the hoarding) is attached, but they couldn’t produce a photo. There are no details about when the complaint was filed. This is private property. How can they forcibly enter and do whatever they want?” Banerjee posed and termed the action “trespassing”.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and the party’s former councillor Baiswanar Chatterjee were seen among those trying to resist the entry of the raiding team. Amid the pandemonium, O’Brien stumbled and fell on the staircase.
Videos from the spot showed police officers getting pushed and shoved by Banerjee’s private security personnel and party supporters, even as they tried to force their way to the upper floors through the staircase.
Banerjee said, besides the planned legal move, they would also send a complaint to the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court.
A large number of TMC supporters stayed put outside the building and raised the ‘Jai Bangla’ slogan amid a large contingent of police force that remained deployed after the KMC personnel left the premises. PTI BSM SMY NSD
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