Bengal doesn't believe in bulldozer politics; poor paying price of political arrogance: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: TMC supremo and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday termed the recent eviction and anti-encroachment drives in parts of the state "bulldozer politics" and claimed that the poor were paying the price of "political arrogance".

In a post on X, she claimed that these drives triggered unrest and caused hardship among the ordinary people.

"From homes to hawker stalls, the poor are paying the price of political arrogance. Bengal does not believe in bulldozer politics. The land of Tagore and Netaji cannot be ruled through fear, force, and demolition drives against ordinary citizens," Banerjee wrote.

Without naming anyone, the TMC chief said the developments reflected an assault on the dignity and livelihood of vulnerable sections of society. "What we are witnessing today is an attack on the dignity of the people of Bengal... who have built their lives brick by brick".

Referring to recent developments, Banerjee said, "The massive eviction drive around Howrah Station, the unrest and anger erupting on the streets of Tiljala and Park Circus, and the growing desperation among those suddenly stripped of shelter and livelihood expose a government more obsessed with optics than humanity." Her remarks come against the backdrop of an extensive anti-encroachment and demolition drive around Howrah station and protests in the Park Circus area.

Violence erupted during a protest in the Park Circus area after a section of demonstrators opposing a bulldozer action against alleged illegal encroachments clashed with police and resorted to stone-pelting.

Several police personnel were injured, and vehicles vandalised, prompting heavy deployment of police and central forces.

Banerjee said a government that "demolishes first and listens later has forgotten the very spirit of Bengal". "Real progress is measured by how a state treats its weakest citizens, not by how quickly it can erase them," she said.

"Bulldozers cannot become the language of governance in a state built on culture, compassion, and resistance to oppression," she added.