BJP’s outreach move ahead of Madarihat bypolls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for a 'public outreach' campaign in the Madarihat Assembly segment, as it seeks to retain the seat in an upcoming by-election.
A day after Lok Sabha privileges committee summoned chief secretary B P Gopalika, DGP Rajeev Kumar and other officials, a six-member central fact-finding committee of BJP comprising Union ministers and MPs was stopped by police at Rampur in North 24-Parganas from visiting Sandeshkhali today.
The committee was formed by the party’s national president J P Nadda to probe the alleged incidents of sexual harassment and violence against women in Sandeshkhali. The committee accompanied by BJP legislator and MLA from Asansol South Agnimitra Paul, Union ministers Annapurna Devi and Pratima Bhowmick, MPs Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidaar, Sangita Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal, a former director general of police of Uttar Pradesh started for Sandeshkhali this morning.
But as soon as they reached Rampur area, which is at a distance from Sandeshkhali, they were stopped by a huge police contingent deployed there. Following the development, there was a exchange of words between the Committee members and the police officials. While the Committee members argued that only five of them would enter Sandeshkhali, the police refused to pay any heed to their reasoning. The members and MLA Paul squatted on the road and started protesting against the police action.
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The members alleged that the state administration was scared that more gory details would tumble out. “The intention of chief minister Mamata Banerjee is clear. She wants to protect her own partymen, who are responsible for such heinous acts at Sandeshkhali,” said Paul. The team later met Governor C V Ananda Bose in Kolkata and apprised him on the issue.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also started court proceedings for intending to visit Sandeshkhali. Apart from DGP Kumar and Gopalika, North 24-Parganas DM, Basirhat SP and additional SP have also been summoned for “oral evidence” in Delhi on Monday, based on a complaint of police brutality.
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