"Will continue to raise our voices": Sukanta Majumdar after being granted bail after arrest over Sandeshkhali protest

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], February 22 (ANI): Launching a blistering attack on the TMC government, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said on Thursday his party will keep mobilising cadres and holding protests against the alleged events in Sandeshkhali till they were allowed to visit the island in the North 24 Parganas district.
Majumdar, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on Thursday while leading a protest against the Sandeshkhali incidents and released on a PR bond later, said the party will move court, if needed, to visit the island.
Speaking to reporters after being granted bail on Thursday evening, Majumdar said, "The police picked us up by force. I was arrested and made to sign a bail bond before I was released. We were arrested for sitting on a dharna here. We will continue to raise our voices and protest until our workers are allowed to visit Sandeshkhali."
"While we took out a peaceful protest, they (police) said we violated Section 144. I would like to ask the police: when the local MLA was roaming freely with party workers, where was Section 144 then? This biased enforcement of Section 144 cannot continue. We will move court if need be," the BJP state chief added.
Earlier, before his arrest, the BJP state president said he would keep protesting till absconding TMC strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Shahjahan Sheikh isn't arrested.
"We will continue to sit on protest outside the police station in Sandeshkhali and sit here for the whole night till the police arrest TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh," said Majumdar.
West Bengal BJP President was taken into custody by the police after he sat on a protest demanding the arrest of Shahjahan Sheikh in violence-hit Sandeshkhali.
After receiving permission from the police to visit the trouble-torn area on Thursday, Majumdar was leading a protest demanding the arrest of the fugitive TMC leader in front of a police station in the area.
The BJP state president, who was accompanied by a slew of security personnel, arrived at violence-hit Sandeshkhali after police permission and was seen interacting with the women there.
Earlier in the day, Majumdar went to visit the arrested party workers in prison in the Basirhat area.
Speaking about the events of Sandeshkhali, Majumdar said the objective behind visiting Basirhat was to assure the BJP workers that the party was with them.
Questioning why Sheikh Shahjahan was still on the run, he said, "I wanted to ask DGP, why Sheikh Shahjahan has not yet been arrested. The ST Commission must visit Sandeshkhali as the majority of the victims and distressed women of Sandeshkhali belong to the ST community."
Earlier, on Monday, the Bengal BJP president announced that the party would hold a 72-hour protest in the coming days to push for the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan amid the turmoil in the state over the Sandeshkhali violence.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mazumdar said, "We will hold a 72-hour protest in the coming days demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan. The likely date for the launch of this protest is February 22."
Training his guns at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for accusing the BJP of instigating violence in the state, Majumdar said she should be more sensitive towards the women of the state and refrain from making such statements.
Notably, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings by the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee against senior police officers in the matter in connection with the Sandeshkhali violence and protest.
The Privileges Committee notice came on a complaint filed by BJP Member of Parliament Sukanta Majumdar for alleged misconduct, brutality, and causing life-threatening injuries by the police officials and district administration of Basirhat in the North 24 Parganas district.
Sandeshkhali has been on the boil over the past several days after women came out on the streets claiming sexual abuse and atrocities by absconding strongman Sheikh Shajahan and his aides. (ANI)