A fresh political controversy has broken out in West Bengal after the state government replaced the long-serving Personal Security Officers (PSOs) assigned to former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, prompting sharp allegations of political vendetta from her party.
According to TMC leaders, the officers who had protected Banerjee for nearly two decades were withdrawn on Wednesday evening from her Kalighat residence in Kolkata. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien shared a video on social media showing the entrance of the residence apparently without the usual security presence. In the post, O'Brien stated that he had to park his own vehicle to block the entrance as a precautionary measure while Banerjee was inside.
"The PSOs who had been with Didi for 20 years were moved out. She is inside. Have parked my car to block entrance. No security," O'Brien wrote, raising concerns over the former Chief Minister's safety late at night.
Sources indicate that Banerjee, who holds Z-plus security category status, declined to accept the new officers sent by the authorities as replacements. The TMC has described the move as a "calculated" attempt to compromise her security and humiliate her following the party's recent electoral setbacks.
The officers in question, reportedly from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) background and absorbed into the state police during Banerjee's tenure, had been part of her close protection detail since her time as Railway Minister. TMC leaders claim the sudden change, without clear prior communication, left her residence vulnerable.
The state government and Kolkata Police have pushed back against the allegations, describing the development as a routine reshuffle or partial replacement under standard security protocols for former Chief Ministers. Officials maintain that Banerjee continues to receive appropriate protection and deny any complete withdrawal of her security cover.
This incident comes amid heightened political tensions in the state after the change of guard, with security arrangements around Banerjee's Harish Chatterjee Street residence already scaled back in recent weeks, including the removal of some barricades.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the state administration on the specific reasons behind the replacement of the veteran PSOs. The episode has intensified the ongoing war of words between the TMC and the ruling BJP, with both sides trading charges of political motivation.
