Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials, backed by Kolkata Police, on Thursday, 27 August removed a giant billboard bearing the name and logo of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the rooftop of the party office of Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member. The operation, completed on the second attempt after a legal challenge and a physical scuffle on the staircase, marks a sharp escalation in the political standoff between the TMC and the state administration in West Bengal.

How the Operation Unfolded

The joint KMC-police team first arrived at the Camac Street office in the afternoon, only to be challenged by Abhishek and his associates over the notice's legal validity. Abhishek — also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — argued that the notice was defective because the billboard photograph had not been attached to the order copy. KMC officials withdrew, obtained a revised order, and returned shortly after.

On the second attempt, police cordoned off the entire area before officials climbed the stairs toward the rooftop. Abhishek's supporters, including Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien, formed human chains on the staircase to block their path. Several TMC women activists also joined the blockade.

Scuffle on the Staircase

A scuffle broke out between police personnel and TMC supporters attempting to obstruct the KMC team. During the confrontation, Derek O'Brien fell on the staircase, though he did not sustain injuries, according to reports. Police eventually cleared the way, and KMC officials reached the roof, dismantled the billboard, and removed it. A large police contingent remained deployed at the site to prevent further tension.

What Abhishek Banerjee Said

Before the removal, Abhishek launched a sharp attack on the state government, KMC, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, alleging that the administration was selectively targeting TMC offices. 'There is an attempt to end the Trinamool Congress forcibly. Why is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so scared? 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 while his party's office billboard at Camac Street was singled out, numerous other billboards belonging to offices and shops in the same area remained untouched. He announced that the TMC would challenge the action in the Calcutta High Court, adding, 'Nobody is above the Indian Constitution.'

Broader Political Context

This comes amid a deepening confrontation between the TMC — long dominant in West Bengal — and the BJP-aligned state administration. The removal of a party billboard, particularly from the office of a senior national leader, is being read by TMC as a politically motivated act. Notably, the KMC itself has historically been under TMC's administrative influence, making the episode an unusual instance of civic machinery being deployed against the party's own infrastructure. Whether the Calcutta High Court grants any relief will be closely watched as the next inflection point.