Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday, 3 July launched a sharp public offensive against the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal, accusing it of orchestrating “political intimidation at its worst” through a pattern of abrupt detentions and police summons targeting people linked to his office.

What Banerjee Alleged

In a detailed post on X, Banerjee wrote: “Over the past couple of weeks, STF/CID @WBPolice has without proper notice and in violation of basic legal safeguards, abruptly summoned or randomly picked up nearly 25 people connected to my office or associated with me all in the name of interrogation. They are being intimidated, threatened and pressured to give false statements against me. Phones are being tapped and even family members including women are being harassed and threatened. This is political intimidation at its worst. A government whose own Chief Minister was caught on camera allegedly taking bribes, with multiple CBI cases hanging over him, is now using state agencies to target me. Do what you can. I will not bow down till my last breath.”

Banerjee specifically named the Special Task Force (STF) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police as the agencies involved, alleging that the summons and pick-ups were carried out without proper legal notices or adherence to basic procedural safeguards.

Legal Actions and Security Incidents

The outburst comes against a backdrop of escalating legal and physical pressures on the TMC leader. The Calcutta High Court recently directed Banerjee to appear before the CID in connection with an ongoing signature forgery probe, an order he subsequently complied with. Separately, an FIR was registered against him at Kalighat Police Station over allegations that his security personnel travelled on the footrests of his moving convoy in a hazardous manner.

Physical threats have also reportedly mounted. A stone-pelting incident at Banerjee’s residence shattered windows, and an alleged security threat involved an armed individual stationed outside the Kolkata airport exit during his arrival, according to reports.

The Political Context

These developments follow the May 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, in which the BJP ended the TMC’s 15-year rule in the state — a seismic shift in one of India’s most politically charged states. Banerjee’s public statement signals what observers describe as an intense escalation in the post-poll political climate, with the former ruling party now navigating life in opposition under an administration it views as hostile.

Notably, this is not the first time state investigative agencies have been at the centre of Bengal’s political battles. Under the previous TMC government, the BJP had similarly accused state police of targeting its workers. The current dynamic mirrors that pattern, with roles now reversed.

BJP’s Response

The BJP-led state government has firmly rejected the allegations of political vendetta. BJP State unit President Samik Bhattacharya and other party leaders maintained that police actions are a legitimate exercise in enforcing accountability after what they described as years of institutional corruption under TMC rule. They characterised public anger directed at former ruling party figures as “spontaneous public blowback rather than state-orchestrated plots.”

The BJP administration has also fast-tracked the newly cleared Anti-Goonda Bill in the West Bengal Assembly, which permits detention without trial to address public unrest and post-poll violence — a measure critics argue could be weaponised against political opponents.

What Comes Next

With the CID probe ongoing and fresh legal proceedings in motion, Banerjee’s confrontation with the new state government is unlikely to ease in the near term. How the Calcutta High Court handles any further petitions, and whether the Centre intervenes through federal agencies, will shape the next phase of this political standoff.