TMC, BJP Lock Horns Over Heavy Security Outside Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat Home

A heavy deployment of state police and central forces outside former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on Monday triggered a fresh TMC–BJP confrontation , further intensifying the state’s already charged political climate.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that the security arrangements were not routine and were instead aimed at preventing Banerjee from visiting the family of an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Baruipur. Senior TMC leaders, including Kunal Ghosh and Derek O’Brien , questioned the presence of multiple police units, barricades and vehicles stationed near her residence since Sunday night, calling it an attempt to restrict the movement of opposition leadership and intimidate the party.

The BJP strongly dismissed the allegations, asserting that the deployment was part of standard Z-plus category security protocols for a high-profile protectee. Party leader Dilip Ghosh rejected the political charge, stating that the arrangements were security-driven and not politically motivated.

The row comes amid heightened tensions following the brutal killing of the 11-year-old girl in Baruipur’s Surjyapur Haat area , where her body was found stuffed in a sack, triggering widespread protests, road blockades, arson and vandalism of police vehicles by angry locals. In a further escalation, a mob allegedly lynched a man accused of involvement in the crime .

Police have arrested four persons in connection with the case and said investigations are continuing.

The latest face-off between the TMC and BJP underscores the deepening political rivalry in West Bengal , where law-and-order incidents have increasingly become flashpoints for high-stakes political battles between the ruling party and the opposition.