Bengal BJP Chief arrested, released in Sandeshkhali over protest demanding TMC leader's arrest

The West Bengal Police detained and later released the state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday after he staged a protest demanding the arrest of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in the violence-affected Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas district.

The BJP leader was taken into custody by the police while he was protesting in front of a police station in Sandeshkhali. 

After his release, Majumdar said that the police forcefully picked me up and arrested and detained me. The BJP state chief alleged that the “police lifted them forcefully". 

Majumdar had received permission from the police to visit the troubled area in Sandeshkhali on Thursday.

He was accompanied by a large number of security personnel and interacted with the women of Sandeshkhali who have been agitating against the alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader and his associates.

Earlier in the day, Majumdar had also visited the jailed party workers in the Basirhat area of the district.

Speaking to sources, Majumdar said that he was not allowed to go inside the jail and meet the party workers. 

He also said that he had given a written request to meet Vikas Singh and 11 other party workers who he claimed were innocent and had done nothing wrong. 

Majumdar also raised questions about why the TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan had not been arrested yet and said that he wanted to ask the DGP about it. 

He said that the ST Commission must visit the area as the majority of the victims of the Sandeshkhali violence were STs.

On Monday, Majumdar had announced that the BJP would hold a 72-hour-long protest in the coming days demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan amid the unrest in the state over the Sandeshkhali issue.

He also criticized Mamata Banerjee for accusing the BJP of instigating violence in the state and said that she should be more sensitive towards the women in the state and refrain from making such statements.