Arrests, mass resignations, ‘bulldozer action’ deepen Trinamool’s crisis across West Bengal

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

An illegally constructed clock tower built on encroached land is being demolished by workers at Garia, in South 24 Parganas. Image used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: ANI

Demolition notices for illegal construction of buildings continued to be issued in West Bengal. A police team visited Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s residence on Monday (May 25, 2026) to collect security equipment. Kolkata Police officials described the visit as a routine exercise. Arrests of local Trinamool leaders have also continued in the three weeks since the new government came to power.

A TMC party office in Hooghly district’s Konnagar area was razed on Monday. The Trinamool office had been illegally constructed on government land, allegedly by local TMC councillor Khokon Pal, and was thus taken down by a bulldozer, official sources said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had previously sent notices to several properties linked to Mr. Banerjee, seeking clarification about deviations from originally sanctioned plans.

Bulldozers were also deployed in Kolkata’s Beleghata, Bosepukur, Tiljala, and Kasba areas on Sunday (May 24, 2026) to demolish illegal multi-storeyed buildings allegedly connected to former or current TMC leaders, and local strongmen associated with the party.

A show-cause notice alleging illegal construction has been issued to a building owned by Kasba MLA Javed Khan, who has been asked to show valid papers for the building or be warned of demolition work from Monday (May 26, 2026). However, Mr. Khan claimed that the building had no legality issues.

“We will take action against whoever in the government was responsible for looking into illegal construction, the ones who constructed it, developed it, and invested money in it,” Minister Agnimitra Paul told mediapersons while visiting one of the demolition sites in Kolkata.

On Sunday, similar action on illegal structures was seen across districts too, including in Purulia and Khanakul.

Bo