Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by Kolkata Police for close to six hours on Wednesday in connection with the Camac Street party office billboard case, intensifying a dispute over the removal of the display and an alleged altercation involving civic and police officials.
Banerjee reached the Shakespeare Sarani police station at around 11.30 am and appeared before investigators for the second time in connection with alleged violence outside his office in central Kolkata in August, according to police sources cited by The Indian Express. He left the station after the questioning and accused the state police of harassing political opponents, an allegation that was not independently established in the report.
The case relates to an incident on August 27, when authorities arrived to remove a billboard from the Trinamool Congress office on Camac Street. Allegations were subsequently made that police personnel and officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were obstructed, harassed or physically assaulted while carrying out their duties. Banerjee said the incident had been recorded and livestreamed, and argued that the allegations should be tested through evidence and a proper investigation.
The MP also disputed the procedure followed by the civic authorities. He said he had not received a notice from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation before the billboard was removed and claimed that the corporation’s legal process required prior notice for demolition or removal. Banerjee questioned why only Trinamool Congress billboards were being removed and asked whether the same rules were being applied to political parties equally.
Kolkata Police had served a notice at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on Sunday, asking him to appear on Monday. He sought 48 hours, following which the police issued another notice directing him to appear at 10 am on Wednesday. The questioning then continued for close to six hours.
After leaving the police station, Banerjee said he would continue to pursue the matter legally, including before the High Court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court. He said he had appeared whenever called and that the facts should emerge through the investigation rather than through political accusations.
The MP also made wider allegations against the BJP and its leaders, including claims of political intimidation, attacks on party workers, damage to property and restrictions on political activity. These claims were made during his interaction with the media and were not independently verified in the report. He further criticised the arrest of two leaders of the Civil Justice Party in connection with protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The immediate legal and administrative questions remain whether the billboard removal followed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s prescribed procedure and what evidence investigators have gathered regarding the alleged obstruction or assault at the Camac Street office. Banerjee’s next steps, according to his statement, will include continuing the legal challenge before the courts.
