Sandeshkhali: West Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari to visit troubled region

Having been denied a visit to the North 24 Parganas district twice, the Calcutta High Court finally gave permission to the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali. It also directed the BJP leader not to give any provocative speech or create any law and order situation.

Kolkata: The situation in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district remained tense over protests against TMC-led atrocities and sexual harassment, even as police maintained a strong presence in the area on Tuesday.

The Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday morning. Adhikari was earlier stopped twice from visiting the area.

The Calcutta High Court, which on Monday granted permission to Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali, had also directed the BJP leader not to give any provocative speech or create any law and order situation in the restive area.

"I want to go there and talk to the locals. I want to stand by the people there", Adhikari said.

Meanwhile, a journalist of a Bengali news channel, who was reporting from Sandeshkhali, was arrested on Monday night.

The police said the journalist was arrested following a complaint of barging into the residence of a local woman.

The Kolkata Press Club has condemned the arrest.

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday called for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and imposition of President's Rule following unrest in Sandeshkhali, drawing a rebuttal from the ruling TMC, which accused the panel of echoing the BJP's agenda.

A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of 'land-grab and sexually assaulting' them under coercion.

Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.