Overview
- Mamata Banerjee publicly condemned eviction drives on International Hawkers Day, saying the actions have demolished stalls and pushed vendors into distress.
- She alleged the drives breach the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and cited Supreme Court rulings that protect hawkers’ right to livelihood.
- Hawkers in key Kolkata hubs including Sealdah, Esplanade and Gariahat have been protesting recent demolitions, and hawker groups say nearly five lakh people face uncertainty over their incomes.
- Mamata instructed Trinamool Congress leaders to take to the streets in support of vendors, and TMC figures have joined protests to pressure authorities for rehabilitation and surveys.
- Advocates and opposition figures argue vendors should be integrated through Town Vending Committees and regulated market plans rather than summary evictions, a point that could shape legal and political challenges next.