NEW DELHI: Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday asked CM Mamata Banerjee to submit an immediate report on post-poll violence that has erupted in Sandeshkhali.
“I am a bit worried about the situation in Sandeshkhali. From the inputs I have received, I have come to know about incidents of attacks on the women of Sandeshkhali within hours after the polling was over yesterday.I have written to the Chief Minister about the steps taken in this regard,” Bose said while speaking to PTI.
“If such attacks continue and the inhabitants are tortured, I will open the doors of the Raj Bhavan for them to come and stay here. They will be provided safe shelter here,” he added.
Sandehkhali, already troubled by unrest, experienced another round of clashes between women and the police on Sunday, within a day after the election’s conclusion.
The confrontation occurred when law enforcement personnel arrived in the area and apprehended an individual in relation to previous attacks on policemen.
In Agarhati village in Sandeshkhali, local women engaged in a physical scuffle with the Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, cut down tree trunks, and obstructed roads as the police searched for several individuals accused of assaulting them the previous night, according to a senior police officer.
“We have not arrested anyone, but local women have started protesting. Some of our female colleagues are injured. We are trying to talk to them and remove the barricades from the roads,” the officer in Basirhat Police District said.
The local women attempted to forcibly free the detained person, but their efforts were thwarted, the officer added.
“We are trying to bring the situation under control. A huge number of RAF, Quick Response Team (QRT) and policemen are present here,” the officer said.
Sandeshkhali, a riverine delta adjacent to the Sundarbans, has been in a state of unrest since January 5. On that day, a team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked while conducting a raid on the premises of TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh in connection with an alleged ration scam.
On February 29, the West Bengal Police arrested Sheikh and his accomplices for their involvement in the attack on the ED officers. Following the assault by a mob of approximately 1,000 people, which left three ED officials injured, a deputy director of the agency filed a complaint with the superintendent of police in Basirhat.
(With inputs from agencies)