Trinamool Congress(TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office in Kolkata was ransacked in the early hours of Thursday morning. The attack happened around 4:30 am while the MP was away in Delhi. TMC terms it a planned attack by BJP supporters, as those who vandalised the office knew the MP was not in the city.
“While the office was being vandalised, we repeatedly tried to contact the police, but they were unable to be present at the scene. My question is: on which top leader's orders were police unable to be present? On whose orders was it that not one hooligan was caught?” questioned Upasana Chowdhury, TMC social media cell head.
Abhishek has questioned whether the West Bengal Governor, the Prime Minister’s Office, or the Union Home Minister’s Office will continue to look the other way. The MP has said it is time for the judiciary to step in. “It is high time that the judiciary, particularly the Calcutta High Court, took serious note of what is happening and acts to uphold the rule of law in West Bengal,” said Abhishek Banerjee on his social media handle.
Notably, this was the same office where a scuffle broke out between its employees and officers of Shakespeare Sarani police station and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials last Thursday. This resulted in Abhishek and TMC MP Derek O’Brien being called for questioning at the police station this week. While Abhishek was questioned for nearly six hours on Monday, O’Brien was questioned for nearly five hours on Wednesday. The police and KMC officials had gone with a notice last Thursday to remove illegal hoardings of All India Trinamool Congress(AITC) outside the building and on the terrace.
Police allege Abhishek’s staff and TMC supporters, including the MPs, heckled the police and prevented them from performing their duty. While Abhishek alleged it was a private office space, police and KMC officials said the building’s entrance was public, as was the terrace.
