TMC alleges vandalism at Kolkata office; BJP denies involvement

PTI, September 3, 2026, Kolkata : TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday alleged that armed BJP men barged into the party's Camac Street office here early on Thursday and vandalised the premises.

Banerjee claimed that the intruders ransacked the office, damaged furniture and electronic equipment and took away mobile phones of party workers present there.

The BJP, however, rejected the allegations, with its Baranagar MLA Sajal Ghosh asserting that no party worker was involved.

In a post on X, Banerjee shared purported CCTV footage of the incident and asked whether the West Bengal governor, the Union home minister and the Prime Minister's Office would act or "continue to look the other way".

The Diamond Harbour MP also urged the judiciary, particularly the Calcutta High Court, to take "serious note" of the incident and act to uphold the rule of law in the state.

Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the ruling BJP, Banerjee asked why he was "so scared" of the TMC.

"If this is how the opposition is to be treated in West Bengal, through violence, vandalism and intimidation, then the chief minister has no moral authority to remain in office. He must resign," Banerjee said.

Calling the incident "political thuggery", he said every attack and act of intimidation would be remembered and "nothing will be forgotten".

Banerjee also alleged that despite repeated calls and emails from TMC workers and lawyers, the Kolkata Police did not respond for nearly two hours, demanding immediate arrests and an investigation into who planned, organised and directed the alleged attack.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC alleged that the incident took place around 4.30 am when a group of men carrying weapons entered the office and assaulted its workers before vandalising the premises.

It claimed that an air purifier, printer, television and several pieces of electronic equipment were taken away.

The BJP's Baranagar legislator dismissed the allegations, saying, "I can say with responsibility that no one from the BJP is involved in this incident.”

He questioned why TMC workers were present at the office at that hour and alleged that the incident was staged to remain in the political spotlight.

The TMC released CCTV footage purportedly showing the alleged vandalism and demanded that those seen in the clip be identified and arrested. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified.

The alleged incident comes amid a widening political confrontation over Banerjee's Camac Street office, which has emerged as a flashpoint between the TMC and the BJP in recent days.

Last week, Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, accompanied by police, attempted to remove a TMC-branded billboard on the premises, alleging that it had been installed illegally and posed a safety risk. TMC workers allegedly obstructed the civic team's operation, triggering a political row.

Later, police and fire department officials inspected the building for possible deviations from the sanctioned plan and examined its fire-safety arrangements. Officials said certain shortcomings had been found and indicated that a notice would follow.