Civic workers used a bulldozer to remove a temporary bamboo shed and dismantle an iron gate allegedly obstructing a footpath outside TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence on Kalighat Road in Kolkata on Thursday, in an operation conducted amid a politically charged dispute over the structure.
The action took place outside 121, Kalighat Road, where a large contingent of Kolkata Police personnel and central forces was deployed as municipal workers pulled down the shed and cleared bamboo poles from the pedestrian stretch. Workers also used a gas cutter to dismantle an iron gate installed outside the boundary wall of the residence, according to the report.
The civic operation followed allegations that the temporary structures had encroached on the footpath and restricted pedestrian movement. Local residents had questioned the shed’s presence, saying it forced people to negotiate a congested section of road instead of using the footpath normally.
The Trinamool Congress has maintained that the shed was built by the West Bengal Directorate of Security when Banerjee had Z-plus security cover. TMC spokesperson Arka Nag said the structure had been erected to accommodate personnel assigned to his protection and was no longer required after the withdrawal of additional security cover. He said arrangements were being made on Banerjee’s behalf to remove it.
The party rejected the characterisation of the shed as an unauthorised construction, describing it instead as a security-related installation. Municipal authorities nevertheless moved in on Thursday morning to complete its removal and restore access along the footpath.
The civic action came a day after Banerjee alleged that police personnel were conducting surveillance outside his residence using vehicles. He posted a video on social media to support the allegation, and police personnel were again seen near the residence on Wednesday evening. The TMC claimed that the police presence was connected to the proposed removal of the shed.
Banerjee’s office staff had begun dismantling the temporary structure on Wednesday, but civic workers carried out the operation the following morning with heavy equipment. The presence of police and central forces during the clearance added to the political sensitivity of an action that, at street level, centred on pedestrian access and the removal of an obstruction from a public pathway.
The dispute dates back to November 6, when large crowds gathered beneath the shed in Kalighat during celebrations marking Banerjee’s birthday. The gathering drew attention to the structure and intensified questions about its impact on the footpath and surrounding road space.
The episode has unfolded against the backdrop of a change of government in West Bengal, with the BJP now in power and the TMC positioning itself as the principal opposition force, according to the report. The next developments will depend on the authorities’ handling of the cleared footpath and on the political responses to the police presence and the removal operation.
