West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, who staged a sit-in outside Sandeshkhali police station demanding the arrest of absconding TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, was detained by police and transported by boat from the restive area, news agency PTI reported. Eight days after sustaining injuries during a protest in nearby Taki while trying to enter Sandeshkhali, Majumdar was granted permission by the police to visit the violence-hit region in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday.
Bengal police official said that the state BJP chief had arrived in the region without informing the authority, "Today Sukanta Majumdar reached here without informing the Police. He was intercepted in Dhamakhali and he requested that he wanted to come to Sandeshkhali and meet the family members of a person. First, he was stopped, later he was allowed to meet the family but he came here and sat on a protest outside the Police station with his local supporters."
"So, we asked him to stop the protest but instead, he indulged in sloganeering. We took legal action and arrested him, and he was released on personal bail after that. Complaints are coming to the Police station regarding land, among that today land were returned to 9 people after survey," Dr Hossain Mehedi Rehman IPS, SP Basirhat Police told news agency ANI.
After meeting party leaders, Majumdar proceeded to Sandeshkhali police station and initiated a sit-in, stating, "I will continue my sit-in until Shajahan Sheikh is arrested. It has been so many days, but the police have failed to arrest him," while raising slogans against the state government, as reported by news agency PTI.
According to PTI, Majumdar expressed his desire to meet local police officials, but permission was denied, leading to the commencement of an indefinite sit-in.
After unsuccessful attempts to persuade him to withdraw, the police used force to remove Majumdar from the spot, subsequently sending him off on a boat with police personnel to Dhamakhali ferry ghat, as per PTI.
At Dhamakhali, he claimed, "I was arrested and later released on a PR bond. I am now at Dhamakhali ferry ghat, but I will not leave the area until all our BJP workers arrested in Sandeshkhali are released," according to PTI.
Earlier in the day, police allowed Majumdar to visit Sandeshkhali under the condition that only his security personnel would accompany him, and no other BJP leader could join him.
Despite disagreements over this condition, the BJP state president agreed to the police's terms. A police officer was heard saying, "You can very well go and visit Sandeshkhali. But only your security personnel would be allowed to accompany you. No other BJP leader would be allowed to accompany you," as reported by PTI.
Majumdar, during his journey, expressed his solidarity with the local populace, stating, "I will meet the locals, my party leaders, and then go to the police station and talk to the police personnel," according to PTI.
Earlier in the week, after Calcutta High Court intervention, both BJP and CPI(M) leaders visited strife-torn Sandeshkhali, marking the first opposition party visit since the onset of protests.
On February 14, Majumdar suffered injuries during a protest related to Sandeshkhali in the nearby Taki area while attempting to enter the region.
A significant number of women in Sandeshkhali accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
Shajahan has been absconding since a mob, allegedly affiliated with him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials during a search of his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.