Masked men ransack, loot TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s office in Kolkata

A group of armed masked men ransacked and looted Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Kolkata’s Camac Street in the early hours of Thursday. Banerjee called the attack outrageous, unacceptable, and a disgraceful assault on the rule of law. He alleged that police did not respond to calls and emails for at least two hours and blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the attack.

“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,” Banerjee wrote on X.

Banerjee, nephew of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, posted a video on X, purportedly showing men wearing masks and helmets fleeing with what appeared to be monitors and smart television sets. Some of the attackers could be seen carrying two smart televisions and other gadgets at a time. A second video showed the ransacked office, shattered glass, broken furniture, and damaged electronic gadgets.

“This is what the BJP has done to my party office in the early hours of this morning. Will the Governor of WB [West Bengal] act? Will the Union Home Minister act? Will the PMO [Prime Minister’s Office] 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,” Banerjee wrote.

Police said an investigation has started and they have detained some people for questioning.

BJP legislator Sajal Ghosh denied the charges of the ruling party’s involvement in the attack, saying it was part of Abhishek Banerjee’s attempt to stay relevant.

“...the BJP is in no way associated with this attack. The people of Bengal have discarded the TMC and voted for the BJP with a huge mandate. He [Abhishek Banerjee] is trying to stay afloat and politically relevant. That is why he is making such allegations. What were his workers doing in the office at that time?” Ghosh asked.

On August 27, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation removed an allegedly unauthorised TMC billboard from the building where Abhishek Banerjee’s office is located. This week, a team from the fire department audited the office. A case was registered against Abhishek Banerjee, and police on Tuesday questioned him in connection with a clash between his supporters and government officials who removed the billboard.