Sandeshkhali: BJP clash with police during protest march as TMC claims situation "totally peaceful"

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 13 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party workers clashed with the police as they marched to North 24 Parganas' Basirhat Superintendent of Police (SP) office on Tuesday, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) claimed that the situation in Sandeshkhali, which falls under the purview of Basirhat Police Station, is peaceful.
BJP workers, including state party president Sukanta Majumdar who arrived in Basirhat railway station by train, were seen marching towards the SP's office.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday set aside the promulgation of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC at Sandeshkhali, which has been witnessing protests over the last one week.
Police personnel were seen charging party workers as the latter broke through barricades. Scenes of chaos filled Basirhat as the police resorted to lathi-charge to drive away the protesters.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sukanta Majumdar said that at first police launched a lathi charge on their party workers, pelted stones, threw tear gas shells and then arrested them.
"First, police launched a lathi charge, it then pelted stones and later tear gas shells were used on our workers. Then, our workers were arrested," Majumdar said speaking to ANI after clashes with police personnel on their way to Basirhat Superintendent of Police (SP) office.
Majumdar alleged that TMC workers have been raping women in Sandeshkhali for months and hence they had planned to march to the SP's office demanding the arrest of the TMC leaders involved in the incident.
"In Sandeshkhali, TMC workers have been raping women for months now - Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hajra and Uttam Sardar are raping them. We had come to the SP peacefully with the demand to arrest them. If they do not arrest them in Sandeshkhali how will the women in Sandeshkhali gain confidence?" Majumdar said.
Majumdar said that the police left no one and even he got injured in the stone-pelting.
"Today, police shattered democracy. They lathi-charged our workers, our leadership. They left no one. Even I got injured in stone pelting. This can't go on," the BJP state president said.
Majumdar said that they would be sitting in protest throughout the night if their party workers are not released.
"We also demand that our arrested workers be released. If this is not done, we will sit here all through the night," he said.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the situation in Sandeshkhali is "totally peaceful" and the situation is "under control".
"Sandeshkhali is totally peaceful and the situation is under control. If there are some, two, three or four allegations, police and administration are taking steps, and the party is taking steps," Ghosh said, speaking in a video message on Tuesday.
Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) for creating new provocations, Ghosh said that these parties attacked the police by pelting stones but the situation is under control.
"The BJP and CPM are trying to create new provocations. Today they have started vandalism. They have attacked police by throwing stones. They provoke like anything. But police behaved like a restraint force and the situation is under control," the TMC spokesperson said.
Ghosh said that while some sections of the media described the incident as a "clash," he negated such reports, saying that party cadres attacked the police.
"A section of media are trying to project a massive clash. But there was not a clash. Some BJP and CPM cadres attacked the police," he said.
Hitting out at Union Minister Smriti Irani for her provocative remarks on Monday, Ghosh said, "Yesterday, Union Minister Smriti Irani tried her best to campaign on the basis of religion. Today they have started gundagiri (vandalism)."
Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged on Monday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is known for the 'genocide' of Hindus.
Appealing to people to maintain calm, Ghosh said, "Now the situation is under control and we appeal to all not to fall into the trap of their baseless allegations."
Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the violence and called for action by the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women.
"What happened in Sandeshkhali is a shame for Bengal. The statements from the mothers there is the most shameful post-independence. There should be action by the National Human Rights Commission and National Women Commission...," Adhikari said speaking to ANI on Tuesday.
On the protest march to Basirhat SP office, Adhikari said, "We are protesting against the Basirhat SP under whose watch all these happened. Sukanta Majumdar also faced lathi charge. The government has started an undemocratic war against the BJP. BJP will not back down. We will lodge our protest in every front."
In a major setback to the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court ordered the removal of prohibitory orders that were imposed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the vicinity of the SP's office in Basirhat in view of the agitation by the BJP over allegations of sexual harassment by women in Sandeshkhali block.
Earlier, locals, particularly women, marched through various sections of Sandeshkhali, carrying slippers in their hands, demanding the arrest of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in an alleged land ration allotment scam and the alleged rape incidents. (ANI)