Sandeshkhali: BJP central team stopped from visiting the restive region

A central team of BJP MPs, including two union ministers, was on Friday stopped from visiting West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, which has been rocked by protests over alleged atrocities on villagers by TMC leaders.

The police did not allow the BJP team to go to the unrest-hit Sandeshkhali, citing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC, Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik said.

After being stopped at Rampur village on the way to Sandeshkhali block, the six-member delegation of the saffron party began a sit-in.

The central team, later in the day, met Governor C V Ananda Bose in Kolkata and apprised him of the situation in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, and said they would move court against the state administration for not allowing them to the area.

''The BJP central team was stopped by police from visiting unrest-hit Sandeshkhali. The police are citing prohibitory orders. We said only four of us would go, but we were not permitted,'' Union Minister Annapurna Devi, who is the convenor of the team, told reporters. Bhoumik, the union minister of state for social justice and empowerment, alleged that the police are ''trying to protect the culprits''.

''The police are very prompt in stopping us. We are union ministers and MPs, and there are certain protocols. The state police and the administration are not bothered about those protocols. Had the police shown similar promptness in arresting Shahjahan Sheikh, the situation would have been different,'' Annapurna Devi said, echoing Bhoumik.

The police cited Section 144 of CrPC to stop the BJP's fact-finding team. ''Later, we said that only two union ministers Pratima Bhoumik and Annapurna Devi should be allowed to visit the spot. But that too was turned down. Are we criminals that we have been stopped from entering the area?'' BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul said.

A large number of women in Sandeshkhali accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of ''land-grab and sexually assaulting'' them under coercion.

Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.

Members of the BJP central team alleged that the law and order in Sandeshkhali was ''non-existent''.

BJP president J P Nadda has constituted the six-member committee of party MPs to visit Sandeshkhali where women have been protesting against alleged atrocities by local TMC leaders.

Besides Bhoumik and Annapurna Devi, Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brij Lal, a former Uttar Pradesh DGP, are members of the panel.

Speaking on the BJP's delegation being stopped, the ruling TMC accused the saffron party of trying to ''vitiate the atmosphere of the state''.

''The police did the right thing by stopping the BJP delegation. It intends to vitiate the atmosphere of the state. When the administration is doing everything to restore peace, the BJP is trying to disturb that for political gains,'' TMC leader Santanu Sen said.

Earlier, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari were stopped from entering the restive region.

Majumdar was also injured during a protest in Taki over atrocities against women in the unrest-hit area. He had to be hospitalised.

West Bengal's political cauldron has been on the boil over the Sandeshkhali incident, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blaming the saffron camp of fomenting trouble in the area, while the BJP and the National Commission for Women (NCW) accused her party TMC and the state government of being complicit in crimes against women in the area.

Protests continued unabated in Sandeshkhali for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday, with a notable presence of women demonstrators demanding the arrest of Shajahan Sheikh and his associates.