Kolkata law and order came under renewed scrutiny after several rounds of vandalism and clashes outside Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat during the early hours of Saturday, leaving supporters of rival political parties and police personnel injured. Kolkata Police registered a case, but no arrests had been made when the report was published.
The confrontation began around midnight, when Trinamool supporters placed birthday banners and photographs of Banerjee on pavement railings outside his home. According to the report, suspected BJP supporters who had come to the area to collect a Kali idol began removing the banners and raising slogans against the MP. The exchange escalated into a clash involving party workers and police personnel.
Banerjee came outside after supporters were injured and later staged a sit-in on the pavement with party workers. He accused the police of failing to intervene and alleged that the attack took place in multiple phases between 1.30am and 7am. He also claimed that the incident was the seventh attempt on his life in six months, and that police and unidentified individuals had conducted reconnaissance near his residence during the previous two days. These allegations were reported as statements by Banerjee and had not resulted in arrests at the time of publication.
Additional police personnel were deployed and prohibitory orders were enforced in the area. When supporters gathered again later in the morning to greet Banerjee and cut a cake on the street, police dispersed them. Banerjee subsequently invited the supporters inside his residence. Police said they were working to identify those involved in the vandalism.
Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the residence and demanded the resignation of Kolkata Police commissioner Ajay Nand. She blamed the BJP for the violence and alleged that the police had allowed a Kali Puja arrangement to obstruct the road leading to her residence on Harish Chatterjee Street. Trinamool leaders, including Kunal Ghosh and party counsel Arka Nag, also alleged a wider breakdown of law and order in areas associated with the party leadership.
BJP leaders rejected the Trinamool’s account. Dilip Ghosh said the birthday celebration should not have been held on the pavement, while urban development minister Agnimitra Paul said residents had objected to noise and suggested that the celebration should have taken place inside the house. BJP MP Rahul Sinha described the incident as an expression of public anger against the Trinamool leadership. Suvendu Adhikari said those responsible for attacking police or damaging police property would face action and that recovery of damages could be ordered.
Banerjee later posted two videos of the incident on social media. One showed a man striking the front gate with a bamboo stick, while another showed people allegedly throwing projectiles towards the premises. Banerjee identified one person in the footage as the son of a BJP functionary and questioned why arrests had not been made. The police case and identification of the alleged attackers remain the next formal steps in the investigation.
