"Govt, police doing their job": WB minister plays down Sandeshkhali uprising, Oppn protests

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal): Playing down the spontaneous uprising among the women of Sandeshkhali against alleged atrocities by absconding TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his henchmen, and Opposition protests, state Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose on Sunday said the BJP was in the habit of making allegations against the ruling party.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of a visit to battleground Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday, the minister and TMC leader made of light of the BJP's charges at the Mamata Banerjee government, saying, "It doesn't matter to us."

"The government and the police administration are doing their job. We all want the elections to be held in peace here," the TMC leader added.
Assuring action against wrong-doers and resolving the issues of distressed locals, the minister said, "We are speaking to villagers and have jotted down their issues and allegations. We will work to resolve all of them."

Also part of the visiting ruling delegation in Sandeshkhali, TMC leader and minister Partha Bhowmick said all issues would be resolved soon.

"We are speaking to people and taking note of their grievances. Being elected representatives, it is our duty to resolve their issues," he added.

Meanwhile, six members of the Centre's fact-finding team, comprising former Patna HC Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy, OP Vyas, Charu Wali Khanna, Bhavna Bajaj, Rajpal Singh, and Sanjeev Nayak, were arrested earlier in the day from Bhojerhaat, on its way to Sandeshkhali and was brought to the police headquarters in Lal Bazaar, Kolkata.

However, they were later released.

Speaking to ANI, the former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court said, "We were arrested under Section 151 of CrPC. They brought us here and after producing bail documentation, we were released. We are going to meet the Governor and brief him on the situation here."

Saying that the members of the fact-finding panel did nothing that warranted arrest, the former Chief Justice said, "This happens only in Bengal.

The entire country is seeing what's happening here (in Sandeshkhali and elsewhere in Bengal). The real culprits are roaming free and victims and those standing with them are facing state-sponsored crackdowns."

On whether the prevailing law and order situation made Bengal a fit case for the imposition of President's Rule, he said, "It is for the central government to decide."