A confrontation over a CPI(M) book stall at the 8B Bus Stand in Jadavpur has placed Kolkata’s management of temporary public-space activity under scrutiny, after police and municipal officials reportedly arrived during the festive period and a bulldozer was allegedly brought to remove the stall. Party workers and members of the public stopped the vehicle, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin.
The incident took place on Saptami evening, when police arrived at the Jadavpur site and asked the organisers to show permission documents. The exchange reportedly led to an argument with party workers. The report said police, accompanied by central forces, subsequently surrounded the stall as CPI(M) leaders and supporters gathered at the location.
The CPI(M) said the Jadavpur stall was among its largest book stalls and that the party had arranged for publishers associated with the books being sold to come to the site. Sudip Sengupta, a CPI(M) leader, alleged that although the police withdrew after the gathering grew, organisers feared the stall could be demolished later in the night. Party workers therefore arranged to keep watch, according to the report.
The dispute is part of a wider series of allegations involving left-wing book stalls across Kolkata and nearby areas during the festival season. The report said a stall organised by the CPI(M)’s Haltu area committee near Purba Chal Shakti Sangha was asked to close by officers from Garfa police station after its inauguration on Friday night. It also said organisers had previously faced objections in Kasba, while a stall continued to operate in Dhakuria despite an alleged attack.
The CPI said police demolished its book stall in front of the State Bank of India in Dhakuria on Friday. The report attributed the allegation to the party but did not include a response from the police or municipal administration explaining the action, the permission requirements or the legal basis for removing the stall.
Mohammed Salim, the CPI(M)’s state secretary, alleged that the administration was preventing left parties from setting up book stalls while the city was occupied with festival celebrations. He said the stalls continued to attract visitors despite the reported obstacles. His comments were carried by Sangbad Pratidin and represent the party’s position.
The report also carried allegations from the SUCI concerning a stall near Babubagan, close to Dhakuria station. The party said that between 50 and 60 police and municipal officials arrived at about 5 pm without prior notice and dismantled a stall that had operated at the location for more than 15 years. SUCI also alleged that BJP workers threw books from a stall in Jagatpur, Baguiati, into a nearby canal, pushed organisers and issued threats. These claims were not accompanied in the report by responses from the BJP, police or civic authorities.
The immediate administrative question is whether the stalls had valid permissions and whether enforcement was applied through a documented, uniform process. The supplied report does not establish the permission status of each location or record an official explanation for the reported actions. Further clarification from the Kolkata municipal authorities and police would be needed to determine how temporary stalls are authorised, inspected and removed from public spaces.
For now, the Jadavpur organisers said they would continue monitoring the stall overnight, while the wider dispute remained unresolved at the time of publication.
