‘Which bldg parts illegal,’ asks Abhishek after notice queries

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, whose properties are under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation scanner, reacted sharply to the developments and threw an open challenge for anyone to prove that he had violated the civic body's building rules.Abhishek on Friday was reacting to queries from journalists on the slapping of notices on properties that are either owned or co-owned by him, his family or his company. On Monday, the KMC buildings department slapped notices on several properties on Harish Mukherjee Road and Kalighat Road. Visibly annoyed at questions, Abhishek said, "Those who are asking these questions should first ask the KMC buildings department which parts of the buildings are illegal. Once they answer, I will also respond to the questions. Mark the illegal part, and I will answer." Meanwhile, at a meeting with TMC councillors at her Kalighat residence on Friday, former CM and party chief Mamata Banerjee defended the party's position on the ongoing eviction drives.According to sources, Banerjee said houses cannot be demolished without proper hearings, municipal regulations and legal procedures, adding that "bulldozer" actions are impermissible. However, there was no confirmation whether she spoked about Abhishek's properties. As many as 17 properties linked to Abhishek are under KMC scrutiny. KMC sent two notices based on allegations of illegal construction at his two addresses. During an internal party meeting a couple of days ago, when the issue was discussed, Abhishek had said that he would not bow down. He stated that whether he receives notices or his house is demolished, he will continue to fight against the BJP.Mayor Firhad Hakim claimed earlier that the notice was sent by municipal commissioner Smita Pandey without any discussion with him. The first of the two notices was sent in the name of Abhishek's mother Lata Banerjee. The second notice was addressed to Leaps and Bounds, known to be Abhishek's organisation.