Bulldozer action removes shed outside Abhishek Banerjee’s home amid political row

• Civic workers demolished a temporary bamboo shed and began dismantling an iron gate outside Abhishek Banerjee’s Kolkata residence following complaints of obstruction

• The TMC said the shed had been erected by the state’s security directorate for personnel protecting the MP

• The operation followed Banerjee’s claims of police surveillance and came after his staff had begun removing the structure

Civic workers used a bulldozer to demolish a temporary bamboo shed outside TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence on Thursday, amid a political dispute over pedestrian access and his claims of police surveillance.

A substantial contingent of Kolkata Police personnel and central forces was stationed outside 121, Kalighat Road, while municipal workers pulled down the structure and cleared bamboo poles from the footpath.

Workers also used a gas cutter to dismantle an iron gate outside the property’s boundary wall, following complaints that it encroached on pedestrian space.

The TMC maintained that the shed had been installed for security purposes by the West Bengal Directorate of Security when Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary, had Z-plus protection.

Party spokesperson Arka Nag said the structure accommodated personnel assigned to guard the MP. Following the withdrawal of additional security cover, it was no longer needed, and Banerjee’s office had arranged for its removal, he said.

The party disputed suggestions that Banerjee had erected an unauthorised structure.

His office staff had begun dismantling the shed on Wednesday, a day before municipal workers arrived to complete the clearance.

The operation followed Banerjee’s accusation that police were monitoring his residence from vehicles parked outside. He posted a video on social media on Wednesday in support of his claim.

Police personnel returned to the area that evening. The TMC said their presence was linked to preparations for removing the shed.

The sequence of events — the surveillance accusation, followed by Thursday’s demolition under heavy security — sharpened the confrontation between the party and the BJP-led state government.

Some local residents had complained that the shed restricted movement along the footpath, forcing pedestrians to negotiate a congested section of Kalighat Road.

The dispute had intensified on 6 November, when crowds gathered beneath the temporary structure during celebrations marking Banerjee’s birthday.

Thursday’s clearance has added to political tensions following the change of government in West Bengal, where the TMC is seeking to consolidate its position as the principal opposition party.

While the civic operation centred on clearing pedestrian space, the TMC’s account of the shed’s origins and Banerjee’s surveillance claims have made the action a fresh point of contention between the two sides.

With PTI inputs