Army Dismantles TMC’s Protest Stage In Kolkata’s Maidan Area, Mamata Alleges BJP’s Role

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 16:50 IST

Indian Army dismantled TMC's protest stage near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Kolkata's Maidan area, sparking Mamata Banerjee's protest.

The Maidan area is under the authority of the Indian Army, whose Eastern Command headquarters is situated nearby at Fort William. (X)

High drama unfolded in Kolkata’s Maidan area on Monday after the Indian Army personnel took up the dismantling of a stage erected beside Mahatma Gandhi’s statue by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to protest against alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal in other states.

What’s The Row?

A defence official said that the Indian Army (Local military Authority, Kolkata) gives permission for events in the Maidan area for a duration of two days, as directed by the Supreme Court, news agency PTI reported.

He said that permission for events for over three days is being granted by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

“Permission for the conduct of events was provided for two days. However, the stage has been set up for almost a month. Several reminders have been sent to the organisers for the removal of the temporary structure. However, it was not removed," the defence official told the news agency.

He said that the Kolkata Police were thereafter informed, and the structure was being removed by the Indian Army.

TMC Allegs BJP’s Role

Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee-led party alleged that the stage was dismantled at the direction of the BJP in a bid to target the TMC.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee, who soon reached the spot after getting the news, alleged that the stage was demolished by the Army on the instructions of the BJP.

She said that she was sitting just 10 minutes away, but after getting the news, she left everything and visited the site to register her protest.

She said that the Army should have consulted Kolkata Police before dismantling TMC’s stage.

Alleging the BJP’s vendetta politics behind the act, she said the move was unethical and undemocratic

In a post on X, the party said that it holds the Indian Army in the highest regard, but what happened at the protest site was undemocratic.

“The BJP abused power to dismantle our Bhasha Andolan protest site despite prior permission being granted and security deposits being made," it said in a post on X.

“It is the UNDEMOCRATIC, UNCONSTITUTIONAL STRONG-ARM tactics of a rattled party that knows it cannot win Bengal’s trust. BJP thinks they can silence us by deploying boots against voices, but Bengal has never bowed to bullies – whether in colonial times or under today’s Delhi Zamindars," it added.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP government has brought in the Army after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)."

He further said that the party would shift the protest venue to Rani Rashmoni Road from in front of the Gandhi statue.

The Chief Minister also vowed that the TMC would now protest in every block against this act.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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First Published:

September 01, 2025, 16:50 IST

News kolkata-news Army Dismantles TMC’s Protest Stage In Kolkata’s Maidan Area, Mamata Alleges BJP’s Role

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