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Bengal: Fresh curbs imposed at Sandeshkhali, political row heats up
The ongoing political row in West Bengal intensified on Wednesday after fresh prohibitory orders were clamped in and around violence-hit Sandeshkhali village, which has been on the edge since last week over allegations of sexual harassment and land capture levelled by women in the village against local TMC leaders.
The ongoing political row in West Bengal intensified on Wednesday after fresh prohibitory orders were clamped in and around violence-hit Sandeshkhali village, which has been on the edge since last week over allegations of sexual harassment and land capture levelled by women in the village against local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.
State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar was injured after he fell on a car’s bonnet after allegedly being “pushed” by an unidentified woman while addressing a protest in Taki, around 35 km from Sandeshkhali village, in North 24 Parganas district.
Majumdar, a Lok Sabha MP from Balurghat constituency, was rushed to Basirhat Government Hospital, and later transferred to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata for further treatment. The West Bengal police said they have taken note of the incident and an investigation has been launched.
Earlier in the day, Majumdar organised Saraswati puja at Taki in Basirhat where he had stayed overnight after being denied by the police to head to Sandeshkhali. On Wednesday morning, he along with his supporters again tried to reach the violence-hit village, but they were stopped by the police. The state police also denied Majumdar’s allegation that he was put under “house arrest” in Taki.
“The TMC has completed the politicisation of administration. There is nothing called police administration in the state. They can’t address the grievances of the people… they can’t arrest criminals. Instead, they create obstacles when someone tries to stand beside the people,” BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told the reporters. “Anger is brewing in villages which may any time burst out in the form of a mass protest. That’s why the TMC is desperately trying to stop anybody from entering the villages.”
Sandeshkhali first hit the headlines on January 5 when an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that went to the village to raid the home of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the alleged multi crore public distribution scam was attacked by a mob. Even as Shahjahan has evaded arrest, since February 7, villagers led by local women in Sandeshkhali have held violent protests, demanding the arrests of local TMC leaders, alleging harassment and land grabbing.
Meanwhile, the administration on Tuesday night clamped prohibitory orders in 19 pockets across seven villages in Sandeshkhali-II block, hours after the Calcutta high court set aside prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC (restricting the assembly of four or more people) imposed in entire Sandeshkhali-II block.
“Prohibitory orders have been imposed in 19 pockets of seven villages of Sandeshkhali-II block since Tuesday night till February 19. The situation would be reviewed,” a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity.
On Wednesday, protests continued for the seventh consecutive day with hundreds of women carrying sticks, brooms, and farming tools blocked roads and demanded the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides — Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra.
The ruling TMC, however, accused the BJP of trying to “vitiate the atmosphere” of the state.
“Sukanta Majumdar knows very well that he is going to face defeat from his seat. So, he has started practising acting so that he can start his film career,” TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen told reporters. “We have seen the BJP doing politics over lord Ram. Today they did politics over Goddess Saraswati.”
