Sandeshkhali Showdown Escalates, BJP Team Set to Meet Bengal Guv; Report Submitted to Prez

A six-member fact-finding team formed by BJP chief JP Nadda was stopped by the police on their way to West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali on Friday. A clash ensued between the BJP leaders and the cops following the encounter. The BJP team staged a ‘dharna’ and alleged mishandling by the cops.

The BJP team was stopped at Rampur, which is on the way to Sandeshkhali. As per reports, Sandeshkhali and surrounding areas have been heavily barricaded.

In a dramatic turn of events, after BJP leaders were stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Congress president and MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was also prevented from entering the unrest-hit area. The Congress leader staged a protest after he was stopped by the police.

On the other hand, BJP leaders have arrived at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to meet West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose.

Union Minister and member of the delegation visiting Sandeshkhali, Annapurna Devi said, “We are here to meet the victims and to give justice to them. Today, the way police are standing here with promptness to stop us if this promptness was shown to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, then this situation would not arise..”

The unrest in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali sparked a political war of words with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the BJP of fomenting trouble in the area.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister and member of the delegation Annapurna Devi said, “Today, a 6-member team of BJP formed by JP Nadda is going to Sandeshkhali. The incident that took place in Sandeshkhali is condemnable. The name of the chief minister is ‘Mamata’ but her party’s goons Shahjahan Sheikh is committing atrocities against women…Fake cases are registered against several BJP workers for taking up this issue. CM Mamata Banerjee is murdering democracy in the state. Police are giving protection to TMC goons who are responsible for this incident…”

ALSO READ: TMC Strongman at Large after Land Grabbing, Sexual Assault Charges: Why Sandeshkhali is Simmering

Sandeshkhali Unrest | Latest Updates

• A six-member fact-finding committee of BJP MPs, five of them being women, who were set to visit unrest-hit Sandeshkhali today, were stopped by the police. 
• According to a PTI report, a delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) which visited West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali to probe alleged harassment of women by TMC aides, submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu, officials said on Friday.
• BJP MP and member of the delegation visiting Sandeshkhali, Brijlal said, “This is Mamta Banerjee’s dictatorship. Two union ministers and 4 MPs are present here still, we are being stopped. Mamata Banerjee wants us not to visit there (Sandeshkhali)…”
• BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, who also accompanied the team to Sandeshkhali, said, “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…”
• West Bengal Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is set to visit the unrest-hit area later in the day.
• Union ministers Pratima Bhoumik, Annapurna Devi, who is the committee’s convener, Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brij Lal, a former Uttar Pradesh DGP, are part of the committee, a statement by the party said.
• Union Minister and member of the fact-finding team visiting Sandeshkhali, Pratima Bhaowmick said “…Hundreds of Sheikh Shahjahan are being nurtured by Mamata Banerjee. Yesterday in the Assembly, she was safeguarding him. It is our democratic right to visit Sandeshkhali…”
• BJP MP and member of the delegation visiting Sandeshkhali, Kavita Patidar said “…We will visit the victims and her family members to get more details about the incident. On one side, the Centre is working for women empowerment and on the other side there are incidents of violence taking place against women in West Bengal. This is highly condemnable…”
• The Supreme Court has received a petition, demanding a fair and impartial investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• Many BJP workers including state BJP Kishan Morcha president Mahadev Sarkar were attacked by the police in a lathi charge during a protest against the “brutal abuse” of women by “TMC-backed miscreants” in Sandeshkhali, the BJP said on Thursday.
• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, said on Thursday that 17 individuals have been arrested in the case so far.
• “I sent the state commission and administration there. 17 people have been arrested so far…Our women’s team is present there. A women police team is visiting people at their doorsteps to listen to their grievances,” the TMC chief said.

What is Happening in Sandeshkhali?

Women in Sandeshkhali, a small village in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, have alleged atrocities committed against them by a TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his aides. The indigenous women of the state have alleged sexual assault and land grabbing at the behest of Shajahan Sheikh.

The area has been witnessing protests since February 7 led by women over alleged sexual assault by aides of fugitive TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been evading Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons since January 5 when some villagers attacked ED officers during a search operation as part of a probe into alleged ration scam.