Kurmi stir fallout: Bengal Police stop AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto from visiting Kotshila

All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) chief and former Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto was stopped by Bengal Police on Monday while on his way to Kotshila in Purulia district, where clashes broke out during a protest by the Kurmi community.

Mahto, accompanied by former MLA Lambodar Mahto, Ichagarh’s former candidate Harelal Mahto and party general secretary Sanjay Mehta, was on his way to meet those injured in the violence linked to the Kurmi agitation for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Police stopped the convoy at Jhalda, citing law and order concerns.

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According to the party, discussions were held with the additional superintendent of police, after which Mahto was allowed to proceed under heavy security but was restricted to meeting workers at Kotshila. He was not permitted to visit the affected villages.

Party spokesperson Sanjay Mehta termed the restrictions “a violation of democratic rights” and alleged that Bengal Police had initially granted permission for the visit. “The administration wants to suppress the voices of the victims. Despite restrictions, AJSU stands firmly with the affected families. No amount of state pressure will silence the demand for justice,” he said.

The Kotshila area witnessed violent clashes on Saturday when members of the Kurmi community, under the banner of the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj, blocked railway tracks demanding ST status.

Police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the protesters. At least six police personnel were injured and several demonstrators detained, according to Purulia district police chief Avijit Banerjee. Some protesters also sustained injuries. Train services were disrupted, with several trains cancelled or diverted.

AJSU has demanded proper treatment and compensation for those injured in the clashes, accountability for alleged excesses by police, and an impartial probe into the incident.