Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee hit out at the BJP-led government on Monday after a joint team of Kolkata Police and the state Fire Department visited his Camac Street office building for a fire safety audit, questioning the timing of the inspection.
Taking to X, Banerjee alleged that the audit came just days after authorities removed a party billboard from the building and accused the government of showing “extraordinary devotion to fire safety”.
“Three days after illegally taking down our signboard, the BJP government has suddenly discovered an extraordinary devotion to fire safety,” Abhishek Banerjee said, claiming that the inspection was accompanied by a “godi media circus”. “If only this enthusiasm had surfaced when 4,000 Control Units, 4,000 Ballot Units and 4,000 VVPATs mysteriously went up in flames within a month of the polls,” he said.
The Diamond Harbour MP added, “No urgency then. No spectacle then. Apparently, democracy can burn without an audit but an Opposition party office cannot escape one."
“Perhaps the fire audit was simply conducted at the wrong address. Had this remarkable vigilance reached the government office in Alipore in time, the EVMs might have survived. And perhaps a few masks would have burnt instead," Banerjee said taking another dig at the authorities.
The remarks came after Fire Department officials inspected the premises on Monday as part of a fire safety assessment. Officials described the exercise as routine and said the building would be examined against applicable fire safety and construction norms. The team also examined the building plan, with officials indicating that further inspections could be carried out in the coming days.
The inspection follows a confrontation on August 27, when Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials and police went to the building at 9 Camac Street to remove an electric billboard bearing the words ‘All India Trinamool Congress’.
TMC leaders and supporters objected to the operation, leading to a prolonged confrontation before police entered the premises and the billboard was dismantled.
The incident subsequently resulted in three FIRs against Abhishek Banerjee, Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and other TMC leaders and supporters. Police have alleged obstruction of officials and assault on personnel during the confrontation. At least 14 people have been arrested in connection with the cases.
The latest fire safety inspection has added to the political dispute, with the TMC alleging that the repeated actions against the office are politically motivated, while officials maintain that the inspections and enforcement measures are being carried out under applicable rules.
