Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders criticized the state administration on Monday following a visit by Kolkata Police to the residence of party general secretary and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee. They described the action as “undemocratic” and accused the government of “autocratic” behaviour.
TMC leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay questioned the police involvement, noting that Abhishek Banerjee had requested clarification from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) regarding alleged violations but had received no response. Speaking to ANI, Chattopadhyay stated, “I had heard that Abhishek Banerjee had asked the Corporation to tell him what was wrong; he didn’t have the information. I don’t know how the police got involved in the middle of it. What is happening in West Bengal is not democratic. No democratic government runs like this.”
The police visit occurred after KMC issued notices to multiple properties allegedly linked to Banerjee over illegal construction.
Additional criticism came from TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, who accused the administration of selective action and “autocratic” conduct. He specifically targeted Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul.
Addressing reporters, MP Banerjee said, “An autocratic government has come to power, and they are showing exactly that. Suvendu Adhikari is the Chief Minister of that government, and Agnimitra Paul is a minister, so they are demonstrating just how they can run the autocracy. They are not letting anyone work. The public will respond to this. They demolished my party office, calling it illegal, but did they demolish the BJP’s party office that was illegal? They say they will demolish everything that is on the government’s land, then demolish Gandhi Ji’s statue, the temple, the mosque too?”
On Wednesday, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) rejected reports concerning a KMC notice allegedly linked to Banerjee, describing the claims as “completely false, fabricated, and devoid of any credibility.”
In an official statement, the AITC accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “unofficially leaking” the notice to local media and social media platforms to orchestrate a smear campaign against Banerjee and other senior leaders. “We have come across media coverage and posts related to a KMC notice that was leaked ‘unofficially’ by the BJP – highlighting multiple properties allegedly linked to AITC National General Secretary and Hon’ble MP Shri Abhishek Banerjee while also attempting to associate other leaders with the matter,” the statement said.
The statement added, “The notice and the media coverage over the last few days are completely false, fabricated and devoid of any credibility.” It urged journalists to verify facts independently rather than “propagating narratives being fed by the BJP.”
The AITC further warned of legal action against “false reporting or misleading posts,” stating, “We urge the media fraternity to exercise sensitivity & responsibility instead of promoting such fabricated posts and stories. Any false reporting or misleading posts will be dealt with appropriately in accordance with the provisions of law before the competent court.”
The controversy follows allegations by senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari that several individuals linked to the TMC have acquired large numbers of properties. He said, “I have told the municipal affairs secretary and KMC commissioner about 4 names: Raju Naskar from Beleghata, who has 18 properties; Sona Pappu from Kasba, who has 24 properties; Nephew Abhishek Banerjee… has 24 properties; Javed Khan’s son, who has 90 properties. These people have looted… in the coming days, the BJP government will legally put these corrupt people behind bars.”
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