KMC moves to remove Abhishek Banerjee's billboard, tension erupts at Camac Street
Synopsis
KMC officials, backed by Kolkata Police, arrived at Camac Street to pull down Abhishek Banerjee's TMC party office billboard — and walked into a direct confrontation with the Diamond Harbour MP himself. With Banerjee questioning the order's validity and threatening Calcutta High Court action, what began as a municipal enforcement drive has quickly become West Bengal's latest BJP-TMC flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
KMC officials and Kolkata Police arrived at Camac Street , Kolkata on 27 August to remove the Trinamool Congress party office billboard of Abhishek Banerjee .
Abhishek Banerjee , accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien , reached the spot and challenged the validity of the removal order.
KMC officials returned to headquarters to obtain a revised order after Abhishek argued the original lacked the billboard's photograph.
Abhishek alleged selective targeting, claiming other billboards in the area were left untouched by authorities.
The Trinamool Congress has threatened to move the Calcutta High Court against the removal drive.
KMC and police alleged that Abhishek and his associates obstructed officials from performing their lawful duties.
Tension flared at Camac Street in central Kolkata on Thursday, 27 August after officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by Kolkata Police, arrived to remove the billboard of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office belonging to Abhishek Banerjee, the party's general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member. The move triggered a heated standoff between the MP and civic officials, drawing sharp political reactions.
What Happened at Camac Street
On receiving word of the KMC team's arrival, Abhishek Banerjee — also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — rushed to the spot along with Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien and other party associates. A tense exchange ensued between the Diamond Harbour MP and the civic officials. KMC officials maintained the billboard had been installed illegally, while Abhishek contested the legality of the removal order itself, arguing that a valid order would have included a photograph of the billboard in question. A section of KMC officials subsequently returned to the corporation headquarters to obtain a revised copy of the order.
Abhishek Banerjee's Allegations
Addressing the media at the scene, Abhishek launched a pointed attack on the state government, the KMC, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. 'There is an attempt to end the Trinamool Congress forcibly. Why is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so scared? First, the administration did not allow the Trinamool Congress to hold meetings and processions in a democratic way. The ruling party and the administration are attacking leaders, destroying party offices and breaking billboards. What are they afraid of? I want to tell Suvendu Adhikari that the Trinamool Congress symbol is a grass flower. The more the grass is cut, the more it will grow,' he said. He further alleged that the action was selective, with numerous other billboards for offices and commercial establishments in the same area left untouched.
Legal Action Threatened
Abhishek announced that the party would approach the Calcutta High Court to challenge the removal drive. 'We will move the Calcutta High Court against this move. Nobody is above the Indian Constitution,' he said. The threat of litigation signals that the dispute is likely to escalate beyond a local administrative matter into a broader political and legal confrontation.
KMC and Police Version
KMC officials and Kolkata Police countered that Abhishek and his associates had obstructed government officials from discharging their lawful duties — an allegation that could carry legal implications for those present. The corporation maintained that the billboard removal was a routine enforcement action under municipal regulations. This comes amid a broader pattern of friction between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state administration and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, where disputes over public space, processions, and party infrastructure have intensified in recent months.
Broader Political Context
The Camac Street standoff is not an isolated incident. West Bengal has witnessed repeated clashes between the ruling dispensation and TMC over access to public space and administrative actions targeting opposition infrastructure. Notably, Abhishek Banerjee has been at the centre of several such confrontations, making Thursday's episode another flashpoint in the state's charged political landscape. The outcome of any Calcutta High Court petition will be closely watched as a test of how the judiciary navigates these disputes.
Point of View
Where enforcement actions are increasingly contested along party lines. The fact that KMC officials had to retreat to obtain a revised order raises legitimate procedural questions — but Abhishek's framing of the episode as targeted persecution also deserves scrutiny, given that municipal billboard regulations apply universally. The more consequential question is whether the Calcutta High Court, which has intervened repeatedly in Bengal's political disputes, will treat this as routine civic enforcement or evidence of administrative overreach. Either way, the episode hands both sides a fresh grievance to mobilise around ahead of the next electoral cycle.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did KMC move to remove Abhishek Banerjee's billboard at Camac Street?
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation claimed the billboard outside Abhishek Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party office on Camac Street was installed illegally. Officials arrived on 27 August with a removal order, accompanied by Kolkata Police.
What was Abhishek Banerjee's response to the KMC action?
Abhishek Banerjee rushed to the spot and challenged the validity of the removal order, arguing it lacked a photograph of the billboard. He also alleged selective targeting and announced that TMC would approach the Calcutta High Court against the move.
Who accompanied Abhishek Banerjee to the standoff?
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien and other party associates accompanied Abhishek Banerjee to Camac Street during the confrontation with KMC officials.
What legal action has TMC threatened over the billboard removal?
Abhishek Banerjee announced that the Trinamool Congress would file a petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the KMC's removal drive, stating that 'nobody is above the Indian Constitution.'
What did KMC and police allege against Abhishek Banerjee?
KMC officials and Kolkata Police alleged that Abhishek Banerjee and his associates obstructed government officials from discharging their lawful duties during the standoff at Camac Street.
