Abhishek Banerjee defiant as KMC razes 3 structures outside Kalighat home
Synopsis
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation razed a bamboo shed, an iron gate, and a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial outside Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat home, citing footpath encroachment. Rather than backing down, Banerjee went on the offensive — framing the bulldozer as a BJP political weapon and vowing not to retreat 'an inch until my last breath.' The episode crystallises a sharply escalating battle between Trinamool's most prominent second-generation leader and the BJP state government.
Key Takeaways
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demolished 3 structures outside Abhishek Banerjee 's Kalighat residence on 12 November 2026 .
Structures razed included a bamboo shed , an iron gate , and a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial — all allegedly encroaching on the footpath.
Tensions had been building since 6–7 November , when birthday celebrations drew a large crowd that sheltered under the bamboo structure, prompting resident complaints.
Banerjee responded with a defiant social media post, stating 'no number of bulldozers' could silence him and vowing to fight 'against the Bangla Birodhis.' The demolition followed Banerjee's Wednesday accusation that Kolkata Police was surveilling his residence.
All India Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday, 12 November 2026, vowed to press on with his political fight, declaring that no bulldozer could silence him — even as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demolished three structures allegedly encroaching on footpaths outside his residence in Kalighat, Kolkata. The demolition, carried out with police assistance, targeted a bamboo shed, an iron gate, and a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial.
What Was Demolished and How
The KMC-led operation began on Thursday morning, with Kolkata Police personnel and a bulldozer arriving at the Kalighat residence to complete what Trinamool workers had left unfinished the previous evening. The first structure to fall was a makeshift bamboo shed, which had reportedly served as a seating arrangement for security personnel when Abhishek Banerjee held Z-plus security cover under the earlier Trinamool Congress government led by his aunt, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. An iron gate that allegedly obstructed the footpath was demolished next, followed by a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial constructed with concrete and iron beams — all three brought down using a single bulldozer.
Background: Birthday Gathering and Resident Complaints
Tensions in Kalighat had been building since the intervening night of 6 and 7 November, when a large crowd gathered outside Banerjee's residence for his birthday celebrations, with several people sheltering under the temporary bamboo structure. Local residents subsequently complained that the construction was obstructing pedestrian movement on the footpath, lending official justification for the demolition drive. The shed had been a subject of mounting controversy in the days that followed.
Abhishek Banerjee's Response
'No number of bulldozers can silence my voice or break my resolve. I will continue my fight against the Bangla Birodhis. I will neither retreat nor budge an inch until my last breath,' Banerjee said in a social media post shortly after the demolition was completed. His remarks framed the municipal action as part of a broader political confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, a framing the government has not publicly responded to. Notably, the demolition came a day after Banerjee had accused the Kolkata Police of placing his residence under constant surveillance, a charge he aired in a separate social media post on Wednesday.
Political Context and What Comes Next
This episode underscores the deepening friction between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP administration in West Bengal, with both sides deploying every available instrument — municipal authority, police deployment, and social media — to signal dominance. Banerjee's defiance suggests he intends to use the demolition as a political rallying point. Whether the KMC will follow up with similar enforcement actions in areas associated with other political figures remains to be seen, and civic groups are likely to watch for consistency in the application of encroachment rules across party lines.
Point of View
Suggesting the sweep went beyond routine encroachment clearance. That it came the morning after Banerjee publicly called out police surveillance of his home is a coincidence that few in Kolkata will accept at face value. The more important question is consistency: if West Bengal's BJP government applies encroachment rules selectively along political lines, the KMC's credibility as a civic body takes a serious hit. Banerjee's decision to respond combatively rather than legally keeps the story alive but also risks reducing a civic enforcement question into a performative political brawl — where accountability for actual encroachment gets lost entirely.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the KMC demolish structures outside Abhishek Banerjee's residence?
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation stated that the three structures — a bamboo shed, an iron gate, and a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial — were allegedly encroaching on the public footpath outside Banerjee's Kalighat residence. Local residents had complained that the constructions were obstructing pedestrian movement, particularly after a large birthday gathering on the night of 6–7 November drew attention to the shed.
What did Abhishek Banerjee say after the demolition?
Banerjee posted a defiant message on social media, saying 'No number of bulldozers can silence my voice or break my resolve.' He framed the demolition as a politically motivated act by the BJP-led state government and vowed to continue his fight 'until my last breath.'
What structures were demolished outside Abhishek Banerjee's home?
Three structures were razed: a makeshift bamboo shed that had reportedly been used as seating for security personnel during Banerjee's earlier Z-plus security cover, an iron gate allegedly obstructing the footpath, and a Trinamool Congress Martyrs' Memorial built with concrete and iron beams.
What is the political background to this demolition?
The demolition comes amid intensifying friction between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP administration in West Bengal. It also followed Banerjee's public accusation on Wednesday that Kolkata Police was surveilling his residence — a claim he made in a social media post the day before the KMC operation.
Who is Abhishek Banerjee?
Abhishek Banerjee is the General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress and the Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour, West Bengal. He is also the nephew of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is widely regarded as the second most powerful figure in the Trinamool Congress.
