Security arrangements for former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have been recalibrated following the change of guard in West Bengal, with the new administration emphasising strict adherence to protocol while withdrawing additional deployments. Officials confirmed that while extra security personnel stationed outside her residence have been removed, Banerjee will continue to receive protection as mandated for a former Chief Minister, with clear instructions issued to ensure there are no lapses.
Within 24 hours of the transition in power, visible changes were implemented at 188A Harish Chatterjee Street, Banerjee’s residence, where scissor barricades at the entrance of the lane were taken down. A notification from Lalbazar further clarified that no additional security cover would be provided beyond the prescribed level. Sources indicate that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari personally directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to strictly maintain her entitled security status.
Parallel to this, the administration has taken a tougher stance regarding Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. An order issued on Monday afternoon announced the withdrawal of his extensive security cover, including the special pilot car previously assigned to him.
According to administrative sources, this move is among the most significant early decisions taken by the new government. Since 6:30 am last Wednesday, additional security personnel deployed at the residences and offices of both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee have been withdrawn. The reduction in security presence was particularly noticeable across three locations — 9 Camac Street, 121 Kalighat Road, and 188A Harish Chatterjee Street — where security arrangements had long been prominent.
Reinforcing the policy shift, Chief Minister Adhikari convened a high-level meeting on Monday with District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police across the state. During the meeting, he stated that security cover would now be strictly based on credible threat perception.
“Unless there is a specific and credible threat of an attack on a leader, unnecessary security cover will not be provided,” he said, adding that “the days of squandering public funds merely to flaunt power or status are over.”
In line with this directive, Abhishek, the MP from Diamond Harbour, will henceforth receive only the standard security entitlement applicable to MPs under Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines. The large deployment of the State Police’s Special Security Unit (SSU) that had been accompanying him is currently being withdrawn.
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