In a significant blow to the West Bengal administration, the Calcutta High Court has mandated the lifting of prohibitory orders, enforced under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), surrounding the SP’s office in Basirhat. This move comes amidst escalating tensions fueled by BJP protests over allegations of sexual harassment within the Sandeshkhali block.
“The court’s preliminary stance is reassuring. They aim to prevent the BJP’s entry into the area. Consequently, we petitioned the court today seeking permission to access the location,” stated Adhikri, referring to the court’s viewpoint.
Confrontations erupted between police forces and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demonstrators who marched towards the Superintendent of Police (SP) office in North 24 Parganas’ Basirhat on Tuesday, following police resistance in reaching the strife-torn village.
BJP activists, led by state party president Sukanta Majumdar, arrived at Basirhat railway station by train and proceeded to march towards the SP’s office.
Simultaneously, Section 144 was imposed in the SP office vicinity due to the BJP’s protest. Sandeshkhali falls within the jurisdiction of the Basirhat police station.
The BJP’s protest targets Superintendent of Police Hossain Mehedi, under whose supervision the violence erupted.
As protesters breached barricades and entered the village, law enforcement personnel resorted to wielding batons to disperse the crowd, resulting in chaotic scenes.
In response, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) countered by circulating a video depicting protesters hurling stones, alleging that the BJP’s visit to Sandeshkhali aimed to incite disorder.
“@BJP4Bengal’s visit to Sandeshkhali wasn’t to seek justice but to incite chaos! Under @DrSukantaBJP’s supervision, BJP workers were caught throwing stones, leading to a woman’s severe injuries. These hypocrites lecture about women’s safety!” read a TMC post on ‘X’.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the violence and called for intervention by the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women.
“The incidents in Sandeshkhali bring disgrace to Bengal. The accounts from the mothers there are the most shameful post-independence. Action is imperative from the National Human Rights Commission and National Women’s Commission,” Adhikari remarked during an interview with ANI on Tuesday.
Regarding the protest march in Basirhat, Adhikari emphasized, “We’re protesting against the Basirhat SP, under whose watch these incidents unfolded. Sukanta Majumdar also faced baton charges. The government has initiated an undemocratic confrontation against the BJP. The BJP will not retreat. We will voice our dissent on every front.”
Assessing the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, Adhikari projected, “After Independence, the second BJP Rajya Sabha MP will head to Delhi. First, Ananta Maharaj went. As per our estimates, one seat is confirmed. The required votes are 49, and we have more than 67.”
Reflecting on the TMC’s Rajya Sabha nominations, Adhikari emphasized, “We don’t differentiate between Bengali and non-Bengali; we advocate for the nation. Everyone is a part of the nation. While the TMC discriminates, branding Gujaratis and those from UP as outsiders, they’ve allocated two positions to outsiders.”
The TMC has nominated journalist Sagarikha Ghose, former president of the Congress’ women’s wing Sushmita Dev, Matua leader Mamata Bala Thakur, and incumbent Rajya Sabha member Nadimul Haque for the Rajya Sabha.
Commenting on Ashok Chavan’s induction into the BJP, Adhikari remarked, “Everyone should step forward. There’s no alternative to PM Narendra Modi. Nationalists should align with PM Modi.”
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose engaged with and listened to protesting women in North 24 Parganas’ Sandeshkhali during his visit to the unrest-stricken village on Monday.
“Listening to the narratives of the women there, I couldn’t fathom that such events could occur in the land of Kabi guru Rabindranath Tagore,” the Governor expressed.
Describing the incident, Bose detailed, “Picture a happy household with a husband, wife, and grown children, including daughters. Suddenly, hooligans barge in, seize the daughter, assault the wife in front of her husband, and beat up the husband… This isn’t fiction; this is what reportedly transpired in this village over the past few days.”
Furthermore, Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged on Monday that the TMC chief has a history of targeting Hindus.
“The women of Sandeshkhali cry out for assistance and protection. Mamata Bandopadhyay is notorious for targeting Hindu women. She allegedly permits her associates to select Hindu married women for repeated assaults in the TMC office,” Irani asserted during a media briefing in the national capital
