KOLKATA: Bengal PCC president Adhir Chowdhury accused CM Mamata Banerjee of playing a “dangerous game” over Sandeshkhali issue even as state police stopped his entourage as well as a six-member central fact-finding team of BJP, including two Union ministers, from visiting the violence-hit villages in North 24 Parganas district on Friday.
Addressing a gathering after being stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali, Chowdhury termed the violence as “a tale of heinous torture by the mighty on weaker sections” and accused Banerjee of polarising the situation.”She is trying to divert attention from crux of the matter and giving it a Hindu-Muslim dimension.”
“Sandeshkhali is a part of North 24 Parganas, a part of West Bengal and very much a part of the country. But it is out of bounds now. Why is this effort to sweep things under the carpet?” he said.
Sandeshkhali has been seeing protests since Feb 7, mainly by women over alleged sexual harassment and high-handedness by aides of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been absconding since Jan 5 when villagers wounded three ED officials during a search operation at his home.
He also criticised Modi govt for trying to build a binary in West Bengal as it happened over CAA/NRC ahead of the 2021 assembly polls. “Rest assured, BJP is not going to impose President’s rule in Bengal. Let Union home ministry declare this place a disturbed area first,” he said.
Slamming state administration for stopping six-member BJP team six km ahead of Sandeshkhali on grounds that Section 144 was imposed in troubled area, Union minister Pratima Bhowmik said: “Police are behaving like Trinamool. They are giving protection to TMC anti-socials who had been torturing women.”
Addressing a gathering after being stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali, Chowdhury termed the violence as “a tale of heinous torture by the mighty on weaker sections” and accused Banerjee of polarising the situation.”She is trying to divert attention from crux of the matter and giving it a Hindu-Muslim dimension.”
“Sandeshkhali is a part of North 24 Parganas, a part of West Bengal and very much a part of the country. But it is out of bounds now. Why is this effort to sweep things under the carpet?” he said.
Sandeshkhali has been seeing protests since Feb 7, mainly by women over alleged sexual harassment and high-handedness by aides of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been absconding since Jan 5 when villagers wounded three ED officials during a search operation at his home.
He also criticised Modi govt for trying to build a binary in West Bengal as it happened over CAA/NRC ahead of the 2021 assembly polls. “Rest assured, BJP is not going to impose President’s rule in Bengal. Let Union home ministry declare this place a disturbed area first,” he said.
Slamming state administration for stopping six-member BJP team six km ahead of Sandeshkhali on grounds that Section 144 was imposed in troubled area, Union minister Pratima Bhowmik said: “Police are behaving like Trinamool. They are giving protection to TMC anti-socials who had been torturing women.”