West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh defended the removal of an illegal structure near TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s home, calling it routine. Banerjee dismissed the demolition as politically motivated bulldozer politics and filed a complaint.
Dilip Ghosh Defends Bulldozer Action at Abhishek Banerjee Residence
Following the bulldozer action at Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's residence, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Friday asserted that any form of illegal encroachment was being removed, adding that Banerjee was "not intentionally" targeted. The West Bengal minister also flagged the shortage of roads and footpaths in Kolkata, and said that illegal constructions are being demolished in many places.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "Any form of illegal encroachment is being removed. There is a shortage of roads and footpaths in Kolkata; if someone constructs a building in such areas, it causes inconvenience to the general public. This is happening everywhere—illegal constructions are being demolished in many places."
Earlier on Thursday, KMC officials arrived with a bulldozer near the TMC general secretary's Kalighat house in the morning and removed a structure made of bamboo in front of the MP's house. The structure was on the footpath, and the civic officials said it caused inconvenience to locals using the footpath. A huge posse of central forces was deployed at Banerjee's house before the bulldozer action. The action came days after late-night clashes between Bharatiya Janata Party and TMC workers outside the MP's house on the occasion of his 39th birthday.
Reacting to the bulldozer action at his residence, he said he was not concerned about the action and would not be deterred by what he described as bulldozer politics. "They cleaned up their own garbage. I don't care. If they bulldoze me and play bulldozer politics, I don't care," Banerjee said.
Banerjee also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission after a bulldozer action removed a makeshift structure outside his residence. He alleged that on the intervening night of November 6 and 7, "a group of persons launched an attack upon his residence-cum-office", followed by "similar acts of surveillance and reconnaissance" on November 10 and 11, which he said indicated "a disturbing pattern of activities directed towards the residence-cum-office." (ANI)
