The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said it demolished a makeshift shade in front of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence on Kalighat Road in south Kolkata on Thursday morning, while the party claimed that its workers had started dismantling it the previous night.
The shade, which was set up in front of Banerjee’s residence at 121 Kalighat Road when the party was in power in the state, was demolished. “We are removing the structure on our own so that the Bharatiya Janata Party government can’t come up with a new narrative that they are demolishing structures to clear the footpath. This was being done so that the state government can think something beyond Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee and concentrate on development works,” Arka Nag, advocate of Abhishek Banerjee, told media persons on Wednesday evening.
Police said that cops, central forces and a bulldozer reached the spot early in the morning. A KMC official, however, said that the entire structure and the iron gate were not removed and hence a bulldozer and a cutter had to be used to remove the restrictions. State minister Dilip Ghosh said the drive has started from the top, as “leaders have shown the people how to encroach” Earlier reporting noted: The structure was on the footpath and the civic officials said it caused inconvenience to locals using the footpath. Earlier reporting noted: According to police, several people from both sides were injured in the incident. Earlier reporting noted: Condemning the attack on the residence of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday had “dared” the BJP to use its bulldozers against her, as she vowed to continue raising her voice against “atrocities and intimidation”.
A huge posse of central forces was deployed at Banerjee’s house before the bulldozer action. The Mamata AITC, however, said party workers had begun dismantling the shade on Wednesday night.
