Allegations that CPI(M) book stalls were damaged at four locations in Barrackpore have triggered a dispute over permissions, the use of public space and the treatment of political stalls during the festive period. The allegation was reported by Bartaman Patrika and has not been independently confirmed by the police, municipal authorities or the agency responsible for issuing permissions.
According to the report, stalls at Barrackpore station, Chandanpukur market, Kalyanibas and Talpukur were allegedly broken or removed. The report said the alleged action took place from Saturday night. It did not identify the individuals or authority responsible for the reported damage, nor did it provide details of any police complaint, municipal order or written notice.
CPI(M) leader Gargi Chattopadhyay alleged that the book stalls had received the necessary permissions. She also said that the Constitution protects the right to sell books on the streets and asserted that the stalls were not selling prohibited books. Chattopadhyay further alleged that chairs and tables belonging to the stall at Talpukur were thrown into a canal.
The allegations place the dispute within a broader question faced by cities: how temporary stalls, political activity and commercial or cultural uses of public space are authorised and regulated. The supplied report, however, does not establish which authority approved the stalls, the duration of those permissions, the conditions attached to them or whether any rule was allegedly breached.
The BJP offered a different response. According to the report, the party said that people should visit the idols with their families instead of setting up book stalls. The statement frames the dispute around the timing and nature of the activity during the festive period, but does not confirm whether BJP members or any public authority were involved in removing or damaging the stalls.
The report also does not include a response from the Barrackpore police, the local municipality, railway authorities in relation to the station area, or any other institution that may control the reported locations. Those responses are necessary to establish whether the stalls were formally permitted, whether any enforcement action took place and whether damage was caused.
For now, the central claim remains an allegation attributed to the CPI(M), while the BJP’s position is limited to an appeal to prioritise visiting festival idols over operating book stalls. Confirmation from the relevant authorities, along with any permission documents, complaint records or statements from affected stall operators, would be required to determine what occurred at the four locations and who was responsible for the reported action.
