Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 27 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien was seen falling down a staircase amid chaos at the party's office in Kolkata on Thursday, claiming that over 150 police officials "illegally trespassed" into the building.
Addressing reporters O'Brien said, "At 3:30 pm the Kolkata Municipal Corporation came with an illegal notice backed by the Kolkata police. The notice was not signed. The notice said a photograph was attached, but there was no photograph. The notice did not have any details... For over one and a half hours, we tried to explain to them. Then they illegally trespassed into the building. More than 150 police officers went in there. They pushed and shoved us on the staircase."
A video of the incident was shared on the official X handle of the AITC.
POLICE ACTING LIKE GOONS OF @BJP4India!
These visuals make it increasingly difficult to tell who is entrusted with upholding law and order and who is behaving like criminals with complete impunity.
Heckling security guards and office staff has seemingly become the new normal… pic.twitter.com/bKB02MpsEM
He further claimed that party leader Abhishek Banerjee was also present during the incident, linking the police action to the upcoming annual students' rally of the TMC scheduled for the next day. He also alleged that 10 to 15 TMC workers were "illegally" "picked up" by the police.
"They pushed and shoved us on the staircase... Abhishek was also there... This was done today because tomorrow is the students' annual rally of the Trinamool Congress... This is all BJP and BJP's B-team who are playing... First, I'm going to the police station because they've illegally picked up 10 or 15 of our team workers," O'Brien added.
The incident occurred after personnel from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, backed by the Kolkata police, removed the signboard reading 'All India Trinamool Congress' from a building on Camac Street that houses Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's office.
TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee took to social media platform X to criticise the administration, stating that the State is witnessing an erosion of democratic norms.
"West Bengal is witnessing the steady erosion of constitutional governance and an alarming descent into a police state. When the power of the State operates without constitutional restraint, the judiciary becomes the last line of defence. If judicial intervention does not come when fundamental rights are being undermined, what is at stake is no longer merely the liberty of individuals. It is the survival of democracy itself," he wrote.
West Bengal is witnessing the steady erosion of constitutional governance and an alarming descent into a police state. When the power of the State operates without constitutional restraint, the judiciary becomes the last line of defence.
If judicial intervention does not come… https://t.co/nwNgwhYgXp
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police said that 12 people have been detained in the Camac Street incident. Case details will be sent shortly. (ANI)
