The office of Lok Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Amtala, South 24 Parganas, was demolished by the district administration on Saturday after officials said that the structure had been built without a sanctioned building plan.
A bulldozer rolled into the premises early in the morning as a heavy police force sealed off the area to prevent any disturbance. The demolition began after the administration established a security cordon around the site.
According to officials, the district administration had issued its first notice on June 30, seeking documents and explanations regarding approvals and permissions for the construction. A second notice followed on July 7, directing Banerjee to appear before officials on July 15 and furnish the required documents.
Authorities claimed that neither of the notices received a response and that Banerjee failed to appear before the administration on the scheduled date. “As there was no compliance with the notices, the administration proceeded with legal action,” an official said.
The demolition has sparked a sharp political confrontation, with the Trinamool Congress accusing the BJP-led state government of targeting its leaders through what it described as “bulldozer politics.”
Calling the action politically motivated, the party said the matter was already before a court. “A dangerous bulldozer culture has been introduced in Bengal after the BJP came to power. What happened today reflects vendetta politics and blatant misuse of state machinery,” the TMC alleged in a statement.
The development comes months after the dramatic shift in West Bengal’s political landscape. In the Assembly elections, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC suffered a crushing defeat after 15 years in power, winning just 80 seats in the 294-member House. The BJP secured 208 seats, paving the way for former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari to become Chief Minister.
Since losing power, the TMC has been grappling with an internal crisis marked by multiple defections. Several MLAs aligned with rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee, now the Leader of the Opposition, while a group of Lok Sabha MPs broke away to join the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. The party has also lost several Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, who later joined the BJP.
