Bengal Police Refuses Last-Minute Approval for Suvendu Adhikari's Sandeshkhali Meeting
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Kolkata, Dec 31 (NationPress) A significant controversy unfolded on Tuesday after the police rejected permission for a planned meeting of Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district at the very last moment.
The refusal occurred as the stage for the meeting was being set up at Block-II of Sandeshkhali. The police's justification was that the state unit of the BJP had not formally requested the necessary police clearance to hold the meeting and failed to submit required documentation in a timely manner.
According to Superintendent Hossain Mehdi Rehman of Basirhat Police District, while his office was aware of the meeting of the LoP, the required paperwork was not provided in a timely fashion.
“The documents were submitted only on Monday night, which was too late. The leader of the opposition is entitled to ‘Z+’ security, so we must consider security concerns,” Rehman explained to reporters.
Tapas Ghosh, president of the BJP’s Basirhat organizational district, dismissed Rehman’s claims. “We have documentation proving that the papers were submitted to the police and acknowledged by the department. The people of Sandeshkhali are eager to hear the LoP speak. The ruling party and the administration are trying to prevent that,” Ghosh stated.
Interestingly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting in Sandeshkhali shortly after, marking her first engagement since local protests intensified, particularly among women, against sexual harassment and illegal land encroachments by the now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates.
During her address, the Chief Minister suggested that a “money game” was involved in the protests.
“There was a ‘money game’ at Sandeshkhali. People were misled. However, lies do not endure for long. I urge everyone to stay united and avoid falling into the traps set by deceptive individuals,” she remarked at the Sandeshkhali meeting on Monday.
Immediately after, LoP Suvendu Adhikari asserted that he would respond to the Chief Minister’s allegations during his rally on Tuesday.
