Abhishek Banerjee's 'illegally built' MP office demolished, heavy force deployed
A political controversy intensified in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas on Saturday after authorities began demolishing the MP office of Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary
A political controversy intensified in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas on Saturday after authorities began demolishing the MP office of Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee over alleged "illegal construction". Bulldozers reached the site on the Amtala–Baruipur Road in Amtala and commenced demolition of the structure after the administration had earlier pasted a notice alleging that the building had been constructed without authorisation. Read Full Story The action came amid heightened security in the area, with police and administrative officials deployed at the site to maintain law and order.
Crowds, including local residents and party workers, gathered near the premises as the demolition began. The development followed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's (KMC) issuance of demolition notices for 17 properties listed in its records under names linked to Abhishek Banerjee, his family members and his company, Leaps and Bounds. Among the properties served notices was 'Shantiniketan', Banerjee's residence on Harish Mukherjee Road. The KMC is governed by the Trinamool Congress. The issue also came after the BJP released a list of 43 properties it claimed were linked to the Diamond Harbour MP, including several allegedly jointly owned by his associates.
The list was sourced from the Kolkata civic body's property records. However, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale rejected the claim, saying the database included multiple individuals named "Abhishek Banerjee" and did not establish that all the listed properties belonged to the TMC leader. As of now, neither Abhishek Banerjee's MP office nor the Trinamool Congress has issued an official statement on the demolition drive. Several leaders of the Mamata Banerjee-led party have faced similar property-linked crackdown ever since the BJP ousted decades old Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal in Assembly elections.
A cafe allegedly built on encroached land and linked to the son of TMC leader Saokat Molla was demolished in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district earlier this month. Ends (With inputs from Sanjay Majhi.)
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