BJP Fact-Finding Team Made to Wait for Three Hours in Malda

Malda: A three-member fact fact-finding team of BJP MPs was stopped by district authorities from visiting Kaliachak on Monday which was hit by violence on December 3, as the political battle between Mamata Banerjee government and BJP over the incident hotted up.

The team consited of MPs Bhupendra Yadav, Ram Vilas Vedanti and SS Ahluwalia, the lone BJP member of Parliament from the state, disembarked from Gaur Express at Malda Town station at around 6 AM but were asked by the police and district administration officials to turn back as prohibitory orders had been promulgated in Kaliachak. "This act of West Bengal government is condemnable", Yadav said as the MPs were forced to return by Howrah-bound Shatabdi Express. The MPs stayed in the VIP lounge of the station for nearly three hours where they discussed the issue with senior district officials.
"Due to pressure from the state government, the district administration said that we cannot go there as Section 144 CrPC has been imposed. We are not here to incite or instigate anyone. We are law-abiding citizens and senior MPs but the officials said that that we are public figures and our appearance will create problems,", Ahluwalia said.
On January 6, another BJP delegation led by Shamik Bhattacharya, its lone MLA in West Bengal Assembly, was not allowed to visit Kaliachak village, about 30 km from here. Violence had broken out at Kaliachak on December 3 over an alleged remark of a BJP leader. Protesters had set fire to a police station and damaged vehicles. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said there was no communal tension in the area and described the incident as a fallout of an issue between BSF and the local people.
Several policemen have been transferred from Kaliachak police station following the incident. Accusing the TMC government of shielding those behind the Kaliachak violence, BJP had alleged that the prime suspects have not been arrested.

Source: PTI