BJP's Suvendu Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali today, Calcutta HC warns against provocative speeches
Some villages in Sandeshkhali community development block II in North 24 Parganas district have been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual abuse of women by some local TMC leaders and their associates and also land grabbing from villagers.
Sandeshkhali violence: The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to visit trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, which has been witnessing protests over alleged atrocities, including sexual abuse, by some TMC leaders.
Justice Kausik Chanda also directed the BJP leader not to give any provocative speech or create any law and order situation in the restive area. The court directed Adhikari to provide a route map of his visit to the state government by this evening.
The BJP leader was prevented by police from going there twice. Adhikari, a BJP MLA from Nandigram, prayed for direction to the state government to allow him to visit Sandeshkhali to meet the alleged victims.
A prohibitory order restricting congregation of five or more persons imposed in the entire Sandeshkhali police station area under Section 144 CrPC was set aside by the Calcutta High Court on February 13.
Here's what Suvendu Adhikari said on Court's order
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Adhikari said that he has received a specific order from the court and he will go there tomorrow (on Tuesday) and meet the families of the victims.
"The permission was given on February 12 also but they imposed Section 144. Today I received a specific order and I will go there tomorrow and meet the families of the victims. Many BJP workers have been arrested, I will meet their family members," he said.
Attacking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP leader said that the TMC chief will lose the Lok Sabha elections and that is why she is doing all this.
"She has not done any development work. They will not arrest (Sheikh Shahjahan) because they need goons during elections and they have given him protection," he added.
HC refuses urgent hearing of PIL seeking protection to women
Meanwhile, the High Court declined to grant an urgent hearing to a PIL requesting protection for women residents of the Sandeshkhali area, amid allegations of sexual atrocities committed by individuals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress.
A division bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam questioned whether the petitioner held an elected position such as an MLA or a panchayat pradhan, or if they were a resident of Sandeshkhali, or had visited the affected area. The Chief Justice emphasized that merely attaching copies of newspaper reports to the petition would not suffice.
The Chief Justice informed the petitioner's lawyer that the fundamental requirements of a PIL needed to be met before it could be considered for hearing.
The petitioner's lawyer requested an urgent hearing for her public interest litigation (PIL) seeking protection for the women villagers of Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.
NCW chief demands President’s Rule in Bengal
National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma accused the West Bengal government of suppressing the voices of numerous women in Sandeshkhali during protests against alleged TMC-led atrocities, and on Monday, she demanded the imposition of President’s Rule in the state.
During the day, Sharma led a delegation of the commission to the restive area and stated that her visit aimed to instill confidence in women there so that many of them could come out and start expressing their opinions.
The NCW chairperson alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government was trying to "suppress the voice of women so that the truth would not come out".
“After speaking to women in the area, I found out the situation here in Sandeshkhali is horrible. Several women narrated their ordeals. One of them said that she was raped inside the TMC party office here. We demand that President’s Rule be imposed in Bengal. We would also mention it in our report,” Sharma told PTI over the phone.
Sandeshkhali violence
Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, has been witnessing violent protests over allegations of sexual abuse of women by a local TMC leader and his supporters.
Several women have accused local Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of land grab and sexual assault.
Sheikh is absconding ever since a mob, allegedly linked to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a corruption case.
(With agencies input)