Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata Office Ransacked; TMC MP Blames BJP As Police Detain Six

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Camac Street in Kolkata was allegedly broken into and looted early Thursday. Banerjee said it had been vandalised. Police have detained six people for questioning in connection with the alleged break-in and vandalism, and the investigation is underway.

Banerjee shared CCTV footage that he said showed masked men inside the office and leaving with electronic items, including a television and other gadgets. On X, he wrote, “This is what the BJP has done to my party office in the early hours of this morning.”

He also asked whether the West Bengal governor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Prime Minister’s Office would respond. Banerjee said the judiciary, especially the Calcutta High Court, should take note of the violence, vandalism and intimidation in the state.

Allegations And Demands

Banerjee said BJP workers armed with weapons entered the party’s Camac Street office in the early hours of Thursday while he was in New Delhi. He said the incident happened around 4.30 am and accused the BJP of carrying out a planned attack on his office in central Kolkata.

In his post on X, Banerjee wrote: “This is what the BJP has done to my party office in the early hours of this morning. Will the Governor of WB act? Will the Union Home Minister act? Will the PMO act? Or will they continue to look the other way? It is high time the judiciary, particularly the Calcutta High Court, takes serious note of what is happening and acts to uphold the rule of law in West Bengal. And one simple question for Suvendu Adhikari: why are you so scared of the Trinamool Congress and of me that you have to resort to this kind of intimidation? If this is how the Opposition is to be treated in West Bengal, through violence, vandalism and intimidation, then the Chief Minister have no moral authority to remain in office. He must resign. This is not democracy. This is political thuggery. Shame on those responsible. And shame on those who choose to remain silent. Every act like this will be remembered. Every attack, every act of intimidation, every abuse of power. Nothing will be forgotten,” he said.

He followed that with another post that gave more details of the alleged attack and criticised the police response. “What happened at Camac Street this morning is a disgraceful assault on the rule of law. At around 4.30 am, BJP hooligans, armed with weapons, stormed our party office in the heart of Kolkata. They attacked our people, snatched their phones, smashed furniture, ransacked the premises and destroyed electronic equipment. And where was Kolkata Police ? For nearly TWO HOURS, despite repeated calls and emails from our people and lawyers, there was no response. This is outrageous and unacceptable. We demand the immediate arrest of every person involved in this attack,” he wrote on X.

Banerjee then demanded a wider inquiry and immediate action. “We also demand an investigation into who planned, organised and directed this violence, and why the police failed to act despite being repeatedly informed. No political party and no group of armed hooligans can be above the law. If people can storm a political party office with weapons at 4.30 in the morning, assault people and vandalise property while the police remain absent, then what exactly is left of the rule of law in West Bengal? Enough is enough. Arrest the perpetrators. Fix accountability. Act now,” Banerjee added.

Earlier Political Tensions

The latest allegations come days after West Bengal Police registered an FIR against Banerjee, TMC MP Derek O’Brien and others. The case was linked to alleged obstruction and assault of police personnel during the removal of an allegedly unauthorised hoarding at 9, Camac Street.

That dispute centred on the building that houses Banerjee’s office. Kolkata Municipal Corporation officers, accompanied by Kolkata Police personnel, had removed a signboard reading “All India Trinamool Congress” from the premises.