Fresh protests erupted in Sandeshkhali on Friday with locals in the Bermajur gram panchayat targeting a local Trinamool Congress leader. A group of villagers attacked the house of local Trinamool Congress leader Ajit Maity and beat him up. The villagers alleged that Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s brother Sheikh Sirajuddin had grabbed land from the locals and Mr. Maity had helped him in the act. Earlier in the day a hut near a bhery (shallow water pond) owned by Mr. Sirajuddin was set on fire, triggering panic in the area.
As police detained a few locals, the situation turned more violent with women in groups trying to stop the police vehicle. The villagers tried to block the narrow roads by cutting down trees. As tension prevailed in the area, senior police officers, including Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar came to the spot and assured that all grievances will be addressed. “The rule of law needs to be established. We will take stern action against whoever try to take the law into their hands,” the DGP said. The police officers present at the spot asked the assaulted Trinamool leader to file a complaint and said there were allegations against him which would also be looked into. The villagers said the police did not heed to any allegations made by them in the past and told them to settle their disputes with Mr. Shahjahan and his aides. They were also upset that Mr. Shahjahan, against whom the allegations of land grab and violence were made, had not been arrested.
Sexual assault
The region has been on the boil since the first week of February after the locals erupted in protests against Mr. Shahjahan and his aides. Alongside allegations of land grab, the women have alleged sexual assault by Mr. Shahjahan and his men. Two Trinamool Congress leaders, Uttam Sardar and Shiboprasad Hazra, have been arrested on charges of sexual assault. Local Trinamool leaders including the Trinamool MLA, faced the ire of locals when they tried to assuage their anger.
Meanwhile, during the day, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee was detained by the police on her way to Sandeshkhali. “I was detained by police without any information. I will go to Sandeshkhali. Why has Mamata Banerjee not spoken in support of the women in Sandeshkhali? If Mamata Banerjee, being a woman Chief Minister has not gone there, then we have to go there being a public servant,” the Hooghly MP said. On Thursday, State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was arrested when he was protesting outside the Sandeshkhali police station.
The Trinamool Congress leadership blamed the BJP for trying to aggravate the situation in Sandeshkhali. Senior Trinamool leader and State Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the administration had full control over the situation but the BJP leadership was fomenting trouble in the region.
“The administration is in charge, with BDO and police officers working tirelessly. Every complaint is being thoroughly examined and promptly addressed. However, whenever there is a semblance of normalcy being restored, BJP leaders such as Sukanta Majumdar and Locket Chatterjee rush in to exacerbate the situation. The BJP shows no concern for the women of Sandeshkhali; their only agenda seems to be to sow chaos for electoral gains,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.
