Bengal: Police arrest ISF MLA Nausad Siddique on way to Sandeshkhali, released later

Thats why he Siddique was stopped, a senior police officer told PTI.Siddique, who was scheduled to hold two programmes -- one in Sandeshkhali and another in Basanti - was released in the evening, around seven hours after the arrest.Naushad, who was welcomed by his followers with garlands after the release, hit out at the state administration for stopping him from going to Sandeshkhali.We are a responsible opposition unlike Mamata Banerjee who broke furniture of the Assembly.

Indian Secular Front (ISF) legislator Nausad Siddique was arrested here on Tuesday while he was on his way to trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, police said.

A Congress team heading towards Sandeshkhali was also stopped near Nazat in the same district, citing imposition of prohibitory orders.

Siddique, the Bhangar MLA, was arrested near Science City here under Section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) of the CrPC, a police officer said.

The North 24 Parganas district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in sensitive areas of Sandeshkhali to avert any untoward incident.

''I do not know why they arrested me. This is several kilometres away from Sandeshkhali. I was going there to meet the villagers. I did not break any rule,'' Siddique told reporters.

''They stopped me 62 km from Sandeshkhali, but they did not stop two state ministers Partha Bhowmik and Sujit Bose when they went there. Police are preventing only the opposition leaders from going to Sandeshkhali. What are they trying to hide?'' the legislator questioned.

Siddique, accompanied by two of his security guards, reached Science City around 9 am when a large contingent of Kolkata Police stopped him. The ISF MLA was taken to the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.

''Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in certain areas in Sandeshkhali. We cannot allow the disruption of law and order by allowing people to visit those areas. That's why he (Siddique) was stopped,'' a senior police officer told PTI.

Siddique, who was scheduled to hold two programmes -- one in Sandeshkhali and another in Basanti - was released in the evening, around seven hours after the arrest.

Naushad, who was welcomed by his followers with garlands after the release, hit out at the state administration for stopping him from going to Sandeshkhali.

''We are a responsible opposition unlike Mamata Banerjee who broke furniture of the Assembly. I informed the DGP regarding my programmes at Sandeshkhali and Basanti. Police have violated the right to freedom of movement which has been recognised by the Constitution. I will take legal action against the police officer who detained me. They cannot stop free citizens, and responsible opposition cannot be stopped,'' Siddique said.

''Police did this (stopped him from going to Sandeshkhali) on the instructions of police minister. They cannot do this without the orders of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee,'' he added.

Criticising Siddique's arrest, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty alleged that police were working under the instructions of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

''This is ridiculous. How can they (police) arrest Nausad at a place which is more than 60 kilometres away from Sandeshkhali? He did not break any rule,'' Chakraborty said.

BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya hit out at the police administration, saying, ''Under the TMC rule, lawlessness prevails in West Bengal. They (police) did the same thing with our leader (party state president) Sukanta Majumdar.''

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)