Kolkata, Sep 1 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday emerged from the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station after more than six hours of questioning in connection with FIRs lodged over the August 27 clash during the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from the roof of his party office on Camac Street in central Kolkata.

Tension had erupted on August 27 when personnel of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police, arrived at Banerjee's Camac Street office to remove the billboard. The civic officials and police allegedly faced resistance from Trinamool Congress workers led by Abhishek Banerjee, along with other party leaders, resulting in scuffles at the site.

According to the FIRs registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, police have accused Trinamool Congress activists of assaulting on-duty personnel and attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman police officer.

In two of the three FIRs, Abhishek Banerjee, party leader Derek O'Brien, and other Trinamool leaders, including Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee, have been named. Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the incident so far.

Speaking to reporters after the interrogation, Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, rejected all allegations against him and his associates, particularly the charge relating to the alleged outrage of modesty of the woman police officer.

"There was no such incident that day. No one was molested. We have video evidence to support our claim. Our supporters were dragged down the staircase mercilessly by the police. If the government has been elected by the people, why is it so afraid?" he said.

The Trinamool leader further asserted that the police action would not deter him politically. "They can do whatever they want. In a democracy, the rulers do not have the final word. False cases will not silence us," he added.

--IANS

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