Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari today visited Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas after police authorities imposed Section 144 at five new locations.

Protestors in Sandeshkhali are demanding the arrest of Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh for allegedly being involved in land grab and rape incidents. Mr Adhikari today met some victims, who were allegedly tortured at Patrapara.

After his visit to violence-hit Sandeshkhali, Adhikari said that he would meet the Governor to apprise him regarding victims’ plight. “The permission was given on 12 February also but they imposed Section 144. Today, I received a specific order and will go there tomorrow and meet the families of the victims. Many BJP workers have been arrested; I met the family members of victims as well as BJP workers who have been arrested. We have been trying since 10 February to meet them and we are hopeful that tomorrow it will happen,” he said.

Meanwhile CPM former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat was prevented while she was trying to enter Sandeshkhali. Brinda Karat said, “We came here only to talk with the women who were assaulted. We already talked with them over the phone and they invited us. The police are now saying that peace will be disturbed. When these women were assaulted, peace was not disturbed? Is this the democracy of the TMC? What Yogi Adityanath did in Uttar Pradesh at Hathras, the same is done by the TMC government at Sandeshkhali.” Tension has been rife in Sandeshkhali after several women alleged Trinamul Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters have grabbed land and sexually assaulted them.

It may be mentioned that on Tuesday afternoon, as the Calcutta High Court’s Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya gave conditional approval to Suvendu Adhikari to enter the area. After being stopped at Dhamakhali ferry jetty, the principal entry point to Sandeshkhali, the LoP kept waiting there even as his counsel in Kolkata approached the court yet again for permission to visit the area. After a brief hearing in the matter, the court allowed the LoP and BJP legislator Shankar Ghosh to enter Sandeshkhali.