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Misuse of power, says Mamata after TMC stage on defence land dismantled
A defence spokesperson in Kolkata said the local army authority can give permission for events in the Maidan area for a maximum duration of three days
KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Union government of “misusing” the Indian Army for “political vendetta” after the army dismantled a stage erected by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on its land in central Kolkata’s Maidan area to protest alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.
“This is unethical, unconstitutional, undemocratic and a misuse of power by the BJP. I do not blame the army. We are proud of the army. It is not the army but the BJP and the Union government who are behind this. They are misusing the army for their political vendetta,” Banerjee, who visited the spot, told reporters.
The CM said the army should have consulted the Kolkata Police before dismantling the stage. “They could have called me and I would have removed the stage within a few minutes,” she said.
A defence spokesperson said that permission was given in the first week of August for three days.
“The Indian Army’s local authority in Kolkata can give permission for events in the Maidan area for a duration of three days, as directed by the Supreme Court. Permission for events greater than three days needs to be obtained from the ministry of defence. The stage has been there for almost a month,” the spokesperson told reporters in Kolkata.
Banerjee, who has accused several BJP-ruled states of harassing Bengali-speaking people, launched a protest at the Maidan area site on July 28 and asked her party leaders to hold rallies every weekend till the state assembly polls in 2026.
On Monday, she asked TMC leaders to shift the protest venue to central Kolkata’s Rani Rashmoni Avenue, which comes under the city police jurisdiction.
“I don’t blame the army, just appeal to them to remain neutral and not play in the hands of the BJP,” she added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party also hit out at Banerjee, accusing her of insulting the army while occupying the CM’s chair.
“This latest episode once again makes it abundantly clear that Mamata Banerjee remains unparalleled in falsehood, arbitrariness, and hypocrisy. The failed Chief Minister, adept in deception, has today gone so far as to attack the @adgpi Indian Army with disgraceful language, an act not only shameful, but one that gravely demeans the dignity of her constitutional office,” Union minister and former state BJP chief Sukanta Majundar said in a post on X.
