West Bengal Government Trims Security of 11 Trinamool Leaders, Ex-Ministers

Kolkata (IANS): After cutting the security of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, the newly formed West Bengal government has now reduced the security cover outside the residences of several other party leaders.

The state has added Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Kumar, veteran leader Shovandeb Chattopadhyay, and MLA Kunal Ghosh to the list of politicians facing security cuts.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the government has reduced the security forces stationed at the residences of Rajeev Kumar and 10 other Trinamool leaders and former ministers. Workers also removed the guardrails outside their houses.

Overhaul of “Security Fortresses”

Immediately after taking office, the BJP government scaled back the security cover of Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee. During the previous Trinamool Congress regime, the state government had provided Banerjee an elaborate security detail, turning his Harish Chatterjee Street residence into a security fortress. This heavy protection had drawn widespread criticism, with many questioning why a leader who was just an MP and held no ministerial portfolio received such extensive cover.

Officials stated that the government curtailed Banerjee’s security days after taking charge, and he will now receive only the standard protection allotted to an MP.

Protocol-Based Security Trims

On Sunday morning, authorities removed the guardrails outside the residences of Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, current Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, and MLA Kunal Ghosh. The government has also targeted senior Trinamool Congress leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya, Aroop Biswas, and Subrata Bakshi for security reductions. Critics allege that many of these leaders enjoyed excessive security during the Trinamool era.

Officials clarified that going forward, the state will align security details strictly with official protocols:

• Rajeev Kumar and Kalyan Banerjee will receive security standard for MPs.
• Kunal Ghosh will receive the standard protection allotted to an MLA.
• Aroop Biswas and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay no longer hold ministerial positions. Furthermore, Biswas lost his seat in the recent elections. Consequently, the government has removed their extra security.

The government also reviewed and cut the security detail of Director of Security Piyush Pandey, who previously served as the Acting Director General of Police (DGP).