Mamata Banerjee threatens Delhi protest over Kolkata restrictions, alleges BJP-instigated violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a strong warning, stating her intention to protest in New Delhi if the Kolkata police continue to deny her party permission to hold demonstrations within the state. This assertion comes in the wake of alleged attacks on Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and vandalism at a party office, which Banerjee attributes to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Banerjee made these statements during a virtual address to party workers, expressing her frustration over what she termed a 'police raj' prevailing in West Bengal. She claimed that the TMC had been denied permission to hold a protest at Rani Rashmoni Road in Kolkata on June 2, 2026, an action she deemed politically motivated and designed to suppress opposition activities. To counter this, Banerjee declared that if the authorities persisted in barring their protests in Kolkata, she would personally travel to Delhi and demonstrate alone. She also suggested that if necessary, the TMC would extend its democratic protests to the national capital, staging demonstrations outside the residences of BJP leaders. The immediate trigger for these remarks appears to be the alleged vandalism at the TMC's Camac Street office in Kolkata on September 3, 2026. Abhishek Banerjee, TMC's national general secretary and Mamata Banerjee's nephew, alleged that armed men backed by the BJP stormed the office in the early hours of the morning, vandalized property, and looted documents and electronic equipment. He shared purported CCTV footage as evidence. Mamata Banerjee echoed these accusations, stating that 'BJP goons' had vandalized the office, looted documents and equipment, and that the Kolkata Police had acted with complicity. She specifically mentioned that four TMC workers were allegedly confined and tortured inside the office during the incident. Further fueling Banerjee's anger are past incidents, including the alleged physical assault on Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur and attacks on MP Kalyan Banerjee. She accused the BJP of orchestrating these attacks with the intent to harm senior TMC leaders and claimed a deliberate attempt to weaken the TMC through intimidation and arrests. Banerjee asserted that the state had been handed over to 'lumpens' and was suffering from 'total lawlessness'. She also extended her condemnation to alleged 'hooliganism' at Jadavpur University, which she also attributed to the BJP. In response to the allegations of vandalism at the Camac Street office, the Kolkata Police arrested six individuals. However, the BJP has denied any involvement in the incident, with BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh suggesting the episode was 'staged' and questioning the presence of TMC workers at the office at that hour. Banerjee also touched upon other grievances, claiming that over 4,000 TMC party offices across West Bengal had been forcibly occupied or looted by the BJP since the state assembly elections earlier in the year. She further alleged that her own movement was being restricted, with statements suggesting she would not be allowed to leave her home. She also expressed dissatisfaction with her security arrangements as a former Chief Minister, claiming they had been withdrawn and that misinformation was being spread about them. The conflict highlights the deeply polarized political landscape in West Bengal, characterized by frequent accusations of violence, suppression of dissent, and allegations of police bias from both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP. Banerjee's threat to protest in Delhi signifies a strategy to escalate the political pressure on the BJP-led central government and draw national attention to the issues she perceives in West Bengal. The situation indicates a continued pattern of political confrontation and the use of strong rhetoric by both parties.

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