Bulldozer rolls up outside Abhishek Banerjee’s Kolkata house; footpath shed, gate razed

A bulldozer was deployed outside the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday as civic workers demolished a temporary bamboo shed erected over a footpath and dismantled an iron gate allegedly obstructing pedestrian movement, reported PTI .

A large contingent of Kolkata Police personnel and central forces was deployed outside Banerjee's residence at 121, Kalighat Road, as municipal workers used a bulldozer to pull down the temporary structure. Workers subsequently removed the bamboo poles and cleared the footpath, while an iron gate installed outside the boundary wall was dismantled using a gas cutter.

Reacting to the demolition, Banerjee said bulldozers could not "silence my voice or break my resolve".

"I will continue my fight against the Bangla Birodhis (anti-Bengal). I will neither retreat nor budge an inch until my last breath," the Diamond Harbour MP said in a post on X.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh defended the civic action, saying it was justified as residents of the neighbourhood had faced difficulties because of the structure.

"It is justified as people in the neighbourhood were facing lots of hardships. He (Abhishek) used to consider himself as being above the law," Ghosh told reporters, according to PTI .

The demolition comes amid a political confrontation between the BJP-led state government and the TMC, which has alleged police surveillance outside Banerjee's residence.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Police and Administration conduct a demolition drive against the illegal encroachment on the footpath outside TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat pic.twitter.com/wSo9Fk80mM

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2026

The controversy intensified on Wednesday after Banerjee alleged that police personnel were keeping watch outside his residence using vehicles. He also shared a video on social media to substantiate his claim.

According to PTI , police personnel again visited the area on Wednesday evening, with the TMC alleging that they had arrived to facilitate the removal of the shed. Banerjee's office staff had themselves begun dismantling the temporary structure on Wednesday.

TMC spokesperson Arka Nag said the shed had originally been erected by the West Bengal Directorate of Security when Banerjee enjoyed Z-plus security cover, to accommodate personnel assigned to his protection.

"The shed was constructed by the police. With the withdrawal of the additional security cover, the structure is no longer required. Therefore, arrangements are being made on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee to remove it," Nag had said.

The TMC maintained that the structure served a security-related purpose and was not an unauthorised construction put up by the MP.

However, civic authorities moved in on Thursday morning to complete its removal. Local residents had also complained that the structure restricted pedestrian movement and forced people to negotiate a congested stretch of road.

The controversy dates back to November 6, when tensions flared in Kalighat during celebrations marking Banerjee's birthday. A large number of people had gathered beneath the temporary shed during the celebrations.

The latest developments have added to the political tensions in West Bengal following the change of government, with the BJP now in power and the TMC occupying the opposition benches. Banerjee's allegations of police surveillance, followed by the deployment of bulldozers and a heavy security presence during the demolition, have further escalated the confrontation.

(With inputs from PTI)