Chaos in Sandeshkhali as BJP delegation prevented from visiting alleged victims

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 16 (ANI): The 6-member BJP delegation constituted by the party national president, JP Nadda, to visit Sandeshkhali was stopped by the police in West Bengal on Friday.

The six-member team includes party leaders Annapurna Devi, Pratima Bhowmik, Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brij Lal. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul is accompanying the delegation to Sandeshkhali.

As the delegation was blocked by the police, they raised objections to the police’s conduct claiming the police had no right to stop them.

‘We are folding hands in front of you (the police) please allow us to meet the victims. We feel like the local police are also involved in atrocities against these women. Let us go. We want to go. The way the police are stopping us, they have no right. The 6-member team has come, and their sole purpose is to meet the affected families, especially the women and daughters. We want to meet them and assure them. The police cannot stop us from meeting anyone'” a member of the delegation said even as the police team surrounded them.

Union Minister and member of the delegation Annapurna Devi said that police had failed to show similar alacrity in arresting Sheikh Sahjahan.

‘We have come to meet the affected sisters and want to assure them. Today, the same stubbornness with which the West Bengal police is standing here and stopping us, if they had been vigilant in arresting Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, we wouldn’t have to witness these unfortunate events today'” Annapurna Devi alleged.

Union Mos Pratima Bhaowmick, another member of the delegation, voiced concern about the treatment of women in West Bengal, saying, ”The way we have been stopped today makes me believe that nothing good is happening in West Bengal. There’s Section 144 imposed here. We had asked how many people can go, and they said 5 or 6 people can. So, we are 6 people going. We want to hear the pain of women; we want to stand with them. We are ashamed of the way women are treated here. The police are providing protection to criminals and goons like Sheikh Shahjahan, not to the public.”

She alleged that the police was under pressure from the state government to stop the delegation.

‘We are protesting to go inside. The police say they are under pressure from above to stop us. We asked whose orders they are following, but they are not ready to disclose,” Union Minister Pratima Bhaowmick said.

“The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, is a ‘dusht women,'” she added.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government of fear and suppression. Paul alleges that the government’s reluctance to allow Union ministers to visit is indicative of their apprehension.

“It clearly shows how scared Mamata Banerjee and her government are. Union ministers are not being allowed to go. Section 144 has been imposed, we said we want only 5 people to go but we were not allowed. Then we said only 2 ministers would be going but they are still not being allowed to go. They (Police) have strict instructions that BJP’s central govt delegation should not be allowed. Mamta Banerjee knows what has happened. Hindu women have been raped, they want to suppress it. West Bengal is burning,” MLA Agnimitra Paul said.

Women in Sandeshkhali have been up in arms over the last few days over alleged atrocities committed on them. In the aftermath of the violence, the BJP formed a six-member committee of Union Ministers and MPs, who have been tasked with visiting Sandeshkhali and gathering facts on the alleged incidents of sexual harassment and violence against women.

They were directed to visit the incident site, take stock of the situation, talk to victims and submit their report to BJP national president JP Nadda.