HC: Vandalism of venue despite order tarnishes image
Times of India | 22 July 2026
Kolkata: If incidents like this take place, the court’s image will be tarnished, the Calcutta High Court remarked on Tuesday while hearing an urgent plea by the Trinamool Congress, which alleged that miscreants had attacked its July 21 rally dais on Cathedral Road — a venue approved by the HC itself.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya made these observations after advocate-general Surajit Nath Mitra informed the court that a “stray” incident involving 5-6 bikers happened on Monday night at the Martyrs’ Day venue in front of the Birla Planetarium. Seeking a detailed report from the Kolkata Police joint commissioner, the high court deferred the next hearing to Friday.
“In spite of the order passed by the Calcutta High Court directing police authorities to depute adequate personnel to ensure a peaceful meeting, an incident took place yesterday night... If policemen were deployed, how did this happen?” the court asked.
Late on Monday night, Trinamool sent an e-mail to acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty around 11.45 pm, reporting vandalism at the site. The party further alleged that electricians were threatened against setting up microphones, and audio feed lines to the speakers were cut.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC — which had earlier been denied police permission to host its annual rally near Victoria House in Esplanade — was granted permission on July 15 by Justice Bhattacharyya to hold the event in front of the Birla Planetarium with a capped attendance of 3,000 participants.
As court proceedings began on Tuesday morning, Trinamool mentioned the midnight incident before Justice Bhattacharyya. When questioned by the court, AG Mitra stated that a few bikers had approached the area, leading to an altercation between two groups. “I cannot say with certainty who they were, but details will emerge... Whether they belong to a rival party or this was engineered by one side, we will clarify. As per my instructions, the stage was not damaged, though one banner may have been torn. A suo motu case was registered even before this petition was filed, though no formal plaint has been lodged yet,” Mitra said.
Following the Monday night disturbance, Mamata Banerjee, along with MPs Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, and MLA Kunal Ghosh, maintained an all-night vigil at the site. Banerjee herself remained at the venue until roughly 7 am on Tuesday.
According to Banerjee, around 60 bikers stormed the Cathedral Road site around 10 pm on Monday, vandalizing the stage and tearing down posters, prompting party netas to rush to the spot by 10.15 pm.
Addressing supporters around midnight, the former CM alleged: “Our workers are being blocked from attending the meeting, and the families of martyrs are being intimidated by the police. Our stage has been vandalized, banners torn, and power and microphone lines cut. BJP-backed goons, led by a criminal out on court orders, carried out this attack.”
Without naming CM Suvendu Adhikari, she accused the BJP govt of attempting to sabotage the event through “police action and state-sponsored intimidation”.
The TMC chief lauded young party workers and volunteers, including members of the party’s IT cell, for maintaining a guard throughout the night. “I am thankful to them. I have identified their faces and will remember their efforts,” Banerjee said. She also claimed that woman workers confronted some of the attackers. “Our woman workers successfully intercepted criminals on two bikes, though they managed to flee. The bikes were handed over to cops. However, I know exactly who is behind this,” she added.