Bengal govt dismantles ‘VIP security culture’, cuts extra security cover given to TMC leaders during Mamata regime
The Statesman | 17 May 2026
In a significant political and administrative move after the change of power in West Bengal, the state government has sharply reduced the security cover of several senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, former ministers and party functionaries, days after curtailing the protection provided to Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee. The latest decision has intensified political chatter in Bengal as visible layers of security around influential Trinamool figures begin to disappear across Kolkata and other parts of the state.
The fresh round of security reduction has affected multiple prominent names within the Trinamool Congress, including Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Kumar, senior party leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, MLA Kunal Ghosh, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Aroop Biswas and Subrata Bakshi. Officials said the revised arrangements were being made according to the current constitutional positions and threat assessments of the leaders.
On Sunday morning, security personnel and barricades stationed outside the residences of several Trinamool leaders were withdrawn as part of the review exercise.
Guardrails placed outside the homes of Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and MLA Kunal Ghosh were removed, signalling a visible rollback of the extensive protection structure that had existed during the Trinamool Congress government.
Officials indicated that many leaders had earlier been provided security arrangements beyond what was considered necessary for their official designation.
According to reports, Rajeev Kumar and Kalyan Banerjee will now receive security entitlement strictly in line with their status as Members of Parliament, while Kunal Ghosh will receive protection available to an MLA.
Officials further stated that Aroop Biswas and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay are no longer ministers, and in the case of Aroop Biswas, his electoral defeat was also taken into consideration during the review process.
The security review has not remained limited to political figures alone. The government has also reassessed the protection cover provided to senior police officials associated with the previous administration.
Director of Security Piyush Pandey, who earlier served as the Acting Director General of Police (DGP), has also reportedly seen a reduction in his security arrangement following the latest review by the state administration.
Officials said the exercise was part of a broader reassessment of government resources and deployment priorities after the formation of the new government.
The latest round of curtailment comes shortly after the state government reduced the elaborate security cover previously provided to Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee.
During the Trinamool Congress regime, Banerjee’s residence on Harish Chatterjee Street was transformed into a heavily guarded zone with extensive deployment of security personnel and barricading around the area.
The scale of the security arrangement had long triggered criticism from opposition parties, questioning why such extraordinary protection had been provided to a Member of Parliament who did not hold any ministerial post.
Following the formation of the BJP government in the state, Banerjee’s security was revised in accordance with the standard entitlement applicable to MPs, officials said.
The sharp reduction in security around influential Trinamool leaders is being viewed as one of the clearest signs yet of the changing political and administrative environment in West Bengal after the transition of power.
While government officials maintain that the move is purely based on protocol and revised assessments, the developments have already triggered intense political discussion over the dismantling of a “VIP security culture” under the previous regime.