In West Bengal, your right to enter your own house is secondary to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s all encompassing smile on a campaign banner. So if you dare to use your right as a citizen and remove those banners blocking your entry into your own house, be prepared to be harassed by Didi’s men. For six months, Niti Chatterjee’s widowed mother who lives alone in the house had been facing the problem while entering her house.
Niti is a resident of Bally, Howrah. After failed attempts to reach out local TMC leaders, Niti took the final plunge of taking off the banners. All hell broke loose after that. Within minutes 20 TMC leaders gathered at her place and told them that they would make their life impossible in their own colony.
In the video girl keeps shouting that why did they put up the banner in the first place when it was clearly written on her door “stick no bills”.
The girl was brave enough to post her entire experience on Facebook:
Read her full post here:
So I got home today, and there was a huge poster of #mamtabanerjee and the local candidate from #tmc outside my house, blocking two entries in the front. This banner has been there for more than six months and during my last visit, my widowed mother had tried to speak to the local TMC leaders to remove it. However, nothing happened. So today, when I got in, I removed it and put it on the road. It was big enough to block the whole road, so I tried to fold it and in the process, the wooden frame broke into two.
In less than ten minutes, twenty #tmc people led by a certain Mr. Toton Saha came to my house and yelled that he will ensure my mother and I can’t stay in this area. He also said if I were a guy, they’d show what they are capable of, and that they will call the mahila #TMC leaders to take care of the disrespect I have shown to #didi. I took a brief video of the situation, in an attempt to keep proof in case something untoward does happen to me or my mother.
I have apologised for hurting the sentiments of the followers of #mamtabanerjee but seriously, is this how you maintain order???? I do not even have a right to my own property and a right to enjoy it, because I’m a single woman in West Bengal??? I must clarify I do not support any party and my family don’t have any political affiliation.
Please share this so it reaches the right ears, coz I have no other means of ensuring such injustice and intimidation doesn’t continue.
Fight for space for political posters is a nasty one in West Bengal. People are forced to allow their space to be used for such activities even though they might not be supporters of that party. Many complain that such banners and paint destroy the look of their house. But when a political advertisement is not just destroying the aesthetics of your house but also blocking your own entry into it, there is no way but to revolt.
Didi won a clear mandate in West Bengal with the promise of transforming Bengal. She never fails to remind people of her simple lifestyle and how she is just a servant of people. Only if such sentiments were carried over beyond election rallies. Political goondaism and hero worshiping in politics must stop at all cost. Didi must crack the whip on her rogue party workers. Niti did the right thing by standing against Mamata’s men. The message in her action is for Mamata to read. A small revolt can always spark off a big revolution.
After reporting the incident, InUth called Chandra Bose, a BJP leader, for his opinion on the issue. He said, “TMC government has come to power with good numbers and we all appreciate it. But after coming in power, they have completely failed to control the goons of their party. You are not allowed to put banners post-election. In case, you are doing it you have to take permission from the landlord, homeowner.” He further added, “It is only TMC and Chief Minister who can control these goons. Only CM can control the action.”
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