West Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faced obstruction from police on Friday while attempting to visit the tense Sandeshkhali area, where protests have erupted over alleged atrocities by TMC leaders against villagers, citing prohibitory orders.
Chowdhury led a Congress delegation, initially encountering resistance from police officials at Sarberia and subsequently at Rampur, along the route to Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.
Authorities invoked prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to justify preventing the Congress delegation's entry into Sandeshkhali.
Chowdhury criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led government, asserting that it was attempting to politicise the situation.
"Why are opposition parties being prevented from entering Sandeshkhali? What is the state government trying to hide? Why are they trying to politicise it?" questioned Chowdhury. Following the interruption at Rampur village, he and Congress workers staged a sit-in, leading to a minor altercation with police.
Addressing reporters, Chowdhury criticised Banerjee for "communalising the issue," stating, "The chief minister, instead of acknowledging that the incidents in Sandeshkhali are a matter of shame, is attempting to imbue them with a communal narrative by introducing the aspects of Hindus and Muslims. We condemn such communal politics," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
"They are stopping us from going here (Sandeshkhali) because they think some secret will come out. They stop us because they are afraid. This is dictatorship," Chowdhury told ANI.
Chowdhury's remarks came amidst Banerjee's allegations implicating the saffron camp of instigating unrest in the area.
Simultaneously, the BJP and the National Commission for Women accused the TMC and the state government of complicity in crimes against women in Sandeshkhali.
Responding to Banerjee's assertion of the RSS's presence in Sandeshkhali and its involvement in communal clashes, Chowdhury questioned the relevance of the RSS in the violence.
"What connection does the RSS have with the disturbances in Sandeshkhali? Are Uttam Sardar or Shibu Hazra, Hindus or Muslims?" he queried.
"It is during the TMC's 13-year tenure that the RSS has expanded its influence across the state. Who bears responsibility for this? The TMC cannot shirk their accountability," he emphasised.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of BJP MPs, including two Union ministers, was also prevented from visiting Sandeshkhali by the police, citing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC.
Protests in Sandeshkhali persisted for the eighth consecutive day, with a significant presence of female demonstrators demanding the arrest of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates.