Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of pursuing “political vendetta” against his party after he was questioned for nearly six hours over a scuffle at his office here last week during the removal of an unauthorised billboard.
Banerjee, who walked out of Shakespeare Sarani police station after the questioning, alleged that the government was selectively targeting the Trinamool Congress by removing its signboards, freezing party accounts and initiating cases against its leaders and workers.
“If they think they can silence us through false cases and arrests, they are mistaken,” Banerjee told reporters outside the police station.
“They can question me but I am not scared, they are,” he said, alleging that the police action was part of a broader attempt to weaken the TMC.
Banerjee said nearly 1,000 people had been sent to his Camac Street office to remove the party’s signboard, describing the action as politically motivated.
The police action stems from the confrontation that broke out when Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, accompanied by police, entered the office premises to dismantle the billboard mounted on an iron structure facing the road.
Private security guards, party supporters and some TMC leaders had resisted the move, leading to a scuffle with police and civic officials. Police subsequently registered three FIRs and arrested several people.
Banerjee, who has been named as an accused in two of the cases, was served a notice to appear before the police and arrived at the station around 12.15 pm, as TMC supporters gathered outside and raised slogans alleging that he was being targeted by the state government.
The cases include sections pertaining to obstruction to government officials in the discharge of their duties, unlawful assembly, assault and harassment of women police personnel. Banerjee has questioned the basis of the allegations, particularly the charge involving women police personnel.
The TMC leader also alleged that several party workers arrested in connection with the incident were subjected to “custodial torture”.
“One of our workers, Tarik, was arrested and subjected to custodial torture. He secured bail yesterday, but 12 or 13 others remain in judicial custody,” he alleged.
Banerjee further claimed that many of those arrested were not served prior notices, alleging that “multiple procedural errors” had taken place.
He said the party had videos showing what had actually happened during the confrontation.
“Our workers did not attack the police. Instead, we have footage of our supporters being dragged down the stairs by police personnel,” Banerjee said, adding that the “truth exists on record”.
The TMC has consistently described the police action as selective targeting of its leadership.
Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, who was present at the office during the incident and has also been named in a case, had rejected allegations that private guards resisted the officials, calling reports of such resistance “fake news”.
O’Brien had also alleged that police entered the office with an “illegal” notice and manhandled senior leaders and staff.
Banerjee also linked the police action to the recent fire at the Alipore Administrative Building, alleging that the government had failed to show similar urgency in dealing with other incidents.
“Within a month of declaration of the election results on May 4, a mysterious fire broke out in the Alipore Administrative Building… Around 4,000 EVMs, 4,000 ballot units and 4,000 control units were reportedly destroyed in the fire,” he said.
He alleged that no fire audit was demanded at the time, while the government was now focusing on removing Trinamool signboards.
“Today, their focus is on removing Trinamool signboards, freezing party accounts, breaking MLAs and MPs and trying to weaken the party,” Banerjee said.
He also alleged that nearly 10,000 names were deleted during the SIR exercise in his Lok Sabha constituency, Diamond Harbour, and claimed that the BJP had won the seat by around 400 votes.
“Within a month, the EVMs connected to that process were destroyed in the fire. If those machines still existed today, I believe the truth would have come before the people,” he said.
BJP leader and senior minister Agnimitra Paul, however, has rejected the allegation of political vendetta, saying the law applies equally to everyone and those accused of heckling or assaulting police must face legal action.
Meanwhile, the TMC has also questioned the procedure followed by the police. Banerjee and O’Brien’s lawyer Arka Nag had alleged on Monday that despite notices being issued under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, copies of the FIRs had not been uploaded online.
The lawyer had cited Supreme Court directions in the Youth Bar Association case and warned that the police could face contempt proceedings over the issue.
O’Brien, who was served a notice asking him to appear before the police on Monday did not do so. Police later served another notice at his residence asking him to appear on Wednesday.
Banerjee also questioned how details of the notice served on him had reached the media before he was formally informed.
“Even now, I have not officially received a notice. A notice was reportedly delivered to my residence before I was even informed, and somehow, the media learned about it almost immediately,” he said, asking the police to explain how the information was leaked.
The latest confrontation has added another flashpoint between the ruling BJP in the state and the TMC, with the opposition party portraying the police cases as part of a broader attempt to put pressure on its leadership.
Banerjee, however, said the cases would not weaken the TMC.
“If they believe they can imprison us through false cases and crush the Trinamool Congress, they are living in a fool’s paradise because the people are not foolish,” he said.
He added that in a democracy, “a ruler never speaks the final word — the people speak it”. PTI PNT AMR NSD PNT ACD
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