Bulldozer Action At Abhishek Banerjee's House, Makeshift Structure Removed

Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials on Thursday morning removed a makeshift structure outside Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee's residence in the state capital. KMC officials arrived with a bulldozer at the TMC general secretary's Kalighat house in the morning and removed a structure made of bamboo in front of the MP's house.

The structure was on the footpath and the civic officials said it caused inconvenience to locals using the footpath. A huge posse of central forces was deployed at Banerjee's house before the bulldozer action.

The action came days after late-night clashes between BJP and TMC workers outside the MP's house on the occasion of his 39th birthday.

What started as an altercation finally turned into scuffles and stone-pelting. Abhishek Banerjee alleged that there was an attempt on his life and accused BJP supporters of ransacking a nearby TMC office.

According to police, several people from both sides were injured in the incident.

Later, Abhishek started a sit-in protest in front of his house on Friday night over the incident. As the on-duty police officers asked him to move away from that place, since it might result in further escalation of tension, the Diamond Harbour MP also entered into an argument with the on-duty cops.

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".

Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters, accompanied by police personnel, had targeted Abhishek Banerjee's residence in the Kalighat area in the early hours.

"How many bulldozers do you have? Bring them all. If you have the courage, come and run your bulldozers over my body. I am standing right here... Run your bulldozer over my chest if you dare," she said, protesting alleged police harassment and restrictions in her neighbourhood amid the attack.

Banerjee alleged that the incident reflected a wider atmosphere of "lawlessness and intimidation" in the state.