Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 28 (ANI): Trinamool Congress MLA Kasem Siddique has strongly criticised the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Police for removing the party's signboard from Abhishek Banerjee's office on Carmac Street in Kolkata.
The building houses the office of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. The signboard was removed by KMC and Kolkata Police earlier on Thursday.
Reacting to the action, Siddique questioned the heavy deployment of police personnel for removing a single signboard and alleged that the action was aimed at cancelling the party's programme scheduled for Friday.
"If they act this way, we will do what we have to do. Look at the massive police deployed just to remove a single signboard. If even half, or a fraction, of this police force had been deployed in Baruipur, our sister wouldn't have died. They deployed 250 to 300 police personnel here just to tear down a board. You can see from this that they are weak. They are trying to cancel our programme scheduled for tomorrow (Friday)" he told ANI.
TMC alleged that police personnel used force against party workers during the operation. In a post on X, the party said, "What Kolkata Police did today will go down in history as the DARKEST DAY in Bengal," alleging that staff, female workers and female security guards were assaulted.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Humayun Kabir on Thursday alleged a "political vendetta" after party leaders, including Derek O'Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, were allegedly assaulted during a police action involving the removal of a signboard at a party office.
Speaking to ANI, Humayun Kabir claimed that the authorities arrived without prior notice and attempted to force their way into the premises.
"There had been no prior notice. They suddenly showed up at 3.15 PM and attempted to enter the office... The security guard asked why they wanted to enter. They claimed to have an order. When asked to show it, they produced the document. We then asked for permission to make a phone call, and we arrived here immediately after that call. Three of us from the party, myself, Derek O'Brien, and advocate Biswanath Chattopadhyay, came here and asked to see the notice," Kabir said.
The Baruipur incident in West Bengal centres on the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur, in South 24 Parganas. The 12-year-old girl went missing and was later found dead in a pond, with an alleged case of rape and murder triggering outrage and protests in the area.
Prabhas Mondal, the prime suspect in the Baruipur minor's rape and murder case, was killed in a police encounter after he attempted to snatch a service weapon from an officer and open fire at the police team.
According to the Baruipur Superintendent of Police (SP), the incident occurred during the reconstruction of the crime scene. The police said that during the process, Mondal attempted to snatch a weapon from a police officer while in custody and open fire at the police team.
Meanwhile, Sandhya Mondal, the mother of Prabhas Mondal, refused to claim her son's body or bring his remains home in a chilling display of detachment. (ANI)
"Deployed 250-300 Police just to tear down board...they are weak": TMC MLA Siddique on signboard removal from Abhishek Banerjee's office building
