The New Indian Express ·
Politics
Bengal govt asks TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee to vacate Camac Street office
KOLKATA: The West Bengal Fire Services Department on Friday served a notice directing Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee to vacate his office on Camac Street, under Shakespeare Sarani police station.
The notice was served on the building owner citing inadequate fire safety measures as per departmental guidelines on the seventh and eighth floors, where the Diamond Harbour MP’s office is housed on lease.
The fire services department sent the notice to the owner in the interest of public safety, asking for proper and adequate fire safety arrangements in the building, it is learnt.
On August 27 evening, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), along with the Kolkata Police (KP), dismantled a huge allegedly unauthorised billboard of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) installed on the rooftop of Abhishek’s office.
The action came despite Abhishek, his private security personnel, office staff and TMC leader Derek O’Brien preventing the civic body team and police from entering the premises.
KMC workers armed with hammers and gas cutters dismantled the tin-sheet billboard, which was mounted on an iron-rod structure. Police registered three FIRs in connection with the scuffle that broke out at Abhishek’s office during the removal of the billboard bearing TMC signage.
Two of the FIRs were lodged separately by a KMC official and a sergeant of the Park Street police station. The FIRs contain allegations of heckling policemen and outraging the modesty of women police personnel during the scuffle at the office.
Abhishek has been named as an accused in two of the FIRs. O’Brien, a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, and former party MLA Humayun Kabir are among others named in the cases, police said.
On Tuesday, Abhishek appeared before the police in connection with the scuffle.
He was questioned for about six hours at Shakespeare Sarani police station, where his supporters raised slogans against the BJP government in the state.
The agitating TMC supporters belonging to the Mamata Banerjee faction alleged that the police action against Abhishek was politically motivated and part of the BJP’s alleged vendetta against the Diamond Harbour MP from South 24 Parganas district.
After leaving the police station on Tuesday, Abhishek attacked the BJP, saying, “So many lives could have been saved if the BJP government took adequate measures to prevent incidents of devastating fires in hotels at Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata and in Tarapith of Birbhum district one month ago. But their police are very active on the billboard issue in our party office.”
He denied allegations of any incident of molestation on August 27 at the TMC party office.
O’Brien, and Sumit Roy, Abhishek's personal assistant, appeared before the Kolkata Police on Wednesday in connection with the previous week’s scuffle.
Police had earlier summoned O’Brien to appear on Monday, but he sought more time, citing the short interval between the notice and the scheduled appearance.
“We are questioning all the persons named in the cases and examining the available evidence. The statements of the individuals concerned are being recorded as part of the investigation,” an officer said.
