Calcutta HC allows Suvendu Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali without supporters
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari to visit the strife-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal. Adhikari, however, has been cautioned not to take any supporters to Sandeshkhali, given the law and order situation. Earlier in the day, the police stopped him from entering the village. Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district recently made headlines following the BJP's allegations of sexual violence by some leaders of the Trinamool Congress and multiple women alleging harassment
Why does this story matter?
This marks Adhikari's third attempt to visit Sandeshkhali. Although the Calcutta HC permitted Adhikari and BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh to go there on Monday, the police and riot control forces set up barricades on Tuesday morning at Dhamakhali to block their entry. The region has become a flash point of a political dispute following the BJP's allegations that TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides have committed various atrocities against Sandeshkhali residents.
What is the Sandeshkhali controversy?
Sandeshkhali witnessed massive protests earlier this month against Sheikh. Locals have been demanding the arrest of the TMC leader and his aides, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar. The situation took an ugly turn in recent days after allegations of rape of "Hindu women" emerged, prompting a strong reaction from the BJP as well. To recall, Sheikh has been on the run for a month since an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was attacked during a raid on his home near Sandeshkhali.
Will ask TMC leader to surrender before court: HC
The HC criticized the stance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government on the Sandeshkhali situation, stating it cannot support Sheikh. Hearing Adhikari's plea, Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam said the court has noted the allegations made by the village's women. "This person (Sheikh) cannot be on the run. The state cannot support it... We will ask him to surrender," Sivagnanam said. "If one person can hold the entire population to ransom, the ruling dispensation should not support him," he added.
NCW chief to hold meeting with state officials
Rekha Sharma, the chief of the National Commission for Women (NCW), is scheduled to meet Bengal's Chief Secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar on Tuesday. On Monday, Sharma met some women of the region, who shared their ordeal with her. "One even reported being raped inside a TMC office," Sharma said. This came on the same day the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking the transfer of investigation in the case outside Bengal.
Governor provides safe house for Sandeshkhali women
On Monday, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose met Sharma after her return from Sandeshkhali. He said that a safe house had been established for women within the Raj Bhavan. Three rooms have been prepared for the women of Sandeshkhali, he added. Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM), along with other state and district leaders, also visited Sandeshkhali on Tuesday.
Watch: CPI(M) leader Karat's video statement here
SC stays Parliament panel's action against Bengal officers
To recall, the SC on Monday halted the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee's proceedings against top Bengal government officials, including Gopalika and Kumar. The probe was initiated after BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar alleged he faced "mistreatment" during his visit to the violence-stricken area of Sandeshkhali. The court has sought a response from the Lok Sabha Secretariat within four weeks, after which it will revisit the issue.
TMC leaders among 18 arrested in Sandeshkhali case
Following the allegations by the women and the subsequent unrest in Sandeshkhali, the police arrested at least 18 accused people, including TMC leaders Sardar and Hazra. They are accused of sexually harassing women and are wanted in land grab cases, too. On Sunday, the security was beefed up in the area as TMC leaders were being produced in a local court.
