The controversy surrounding demolition notices sent to properties linked to Abhishek Banerjee has triggered fresh discomfort inside the Trinamool Congress, with senior party leaders now publicly distancing themselves from the issue. The Abhishek Banerjee notice row intensified on Wednesday after Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh suggested that only Abhishek or his legal team could answer questions regarding the matter.
The political storm erupted after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) reportedly issued demolition notices over alleged illegal constructions linked to “Leaps and Bounds” and 17 addresses associated with Abhishek Banerjee’s parents in Kolkata.
The development has become one of the most sensitive issues for the Trinamool Congress at a time when the party is already facing pressure over arrests of several leaders and mounting political attacks from the BJP-led state government.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim attempted to maintain distance from the controversy. He stated that he had no direct role in administrative matters related to legal notices issued by the civic body.
“I do not know about the matter, and frankly it is not something I am expected to know,” Firhad said. He explained that decisions regarding whom notices are served to, or under which section of the KMC Act action is taken, fall under administrative procedures rather than the Mayor’s direct jurisdiction.
The Mayor also avoided commenting on Abhishek Banerjee’s personal affairs, saying he would not speak on matters related to the TMC national general secretary’s private property issues.
Soon after Firhad’s remarks, senior TMC leader and Beliaghata MLA Kunal Ghosh also addressed the issue during a press interaction. He accused the BJP government of using state machinery to put “administrative and psychological pressure” on Trinamool leaders after the change of power in Bengal.
Kunal described the notices as part of a wider campaign of “political vendetta” against the opposition. However, when asked directly whether the properties in question were indeed illegal constructions, he refrained from offering a categorical defence.
“As a party spokesperson, I am presenting the party’s broader political position,” Kunal said. “But regarding whose properties received notices, how many notices were issued or how many properties are involved — only he himself or his lawyer can answer those questions properly.”
Political observers believe Kunal Ghosh’s comments are particularly significant because they subtly shifted the legal and factual responsibility back onto Abhishek Banerjee himself, even while politically attacking the BJP government over the issue.
The episode has exposed visible unease within the Trinamool Congress leadership, with senior figures publicly avoiding ownership of the controversy while simultaneously attempting to frame the notices as politically motivated action by the new administration.
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