Kolkata: In a dramatic turn of events, plainclothes police officers knocked on the doors of Shantiniketan, the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Monday and emerged with a large monitor and hard disks after several minutes of high tension.
Security Scale-Down at Banerjee's Residence
The heavily guarded residence of Banerjee had witnessed a visible reduction in security after May 4. Earlier, only a few cops guarded the premises during the day, with an armed mobile unit supplementing security at night. Prior to this scale-down, Banerjee was a Z-plus protectee, with multiple Kolkata Police units stationed at his home, including an armoured vehicle.
Police Operation and Seizure
On Monday, additional police deployment was observed at Banerjee's home before the plainclothes officers entered. The cops who exited with the monitor and hard disks declined to answer questions from reporters. A PTI report quoted a senior Kolkata Police officer who downplayed the incident, stating, "There is no law-and-order issue or any special operation. It was part of a routine official exercise."
Officials revealed that the team removed a TV monitor attached to a security scanner previously installed at the entrance of the TMC leader's residence. Another senior police officer explained, "The equipment was placed there for security purposes. Later, it was decided that the machines would be taken back as they belonged to the government." Sources in Kolkata Police circles indicated that the monitor was originally set up to track feeds from nearby security cameras. However, following the withdrawal of Banerjee's Z-plus security cover, the police dismantled and removed the extra cameras, though the monitor remained inside the house.
TMC's Reaction and Allegations
While the TMC claimed it was a routine visit to retrieve security equipment after the downsizing of Abhishek Banerjee's security, the covert manner in which the police team left with the monitor — as a large number of media personnel chased them without getting any answers — sparked speculation.
Saket Gokhale, a former Rajya Sabha MP and TMC spokesperson, alleged, "Another example of pathetic sensationalism… on BJP's direction. Abhishek Banerjee was a Z category protectee until his security was abruptly withdrawn purely out of vendetta. Police came to remove the metal detectors that were installed at his residence as part of security protocol. How many cops are required to remove a few metal detectors? Five cops do the actual job while 50 stand there creating a tamasha on the orders of an illegal government with a stolen mandate."
BJP's Silence
The Bengal BJP did not comment on the issue. The incident has raised questions about the motives behind the police action, especially given the heightened political tensions in the state.
