Kolkata: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sought a ground report from the West Bengal government on situation in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, which witnessed women’s protest alleging harassment by absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his close associates belonging to the Scheduled Caste.
Since Saturday, Section 144 has been imposed and the use of internet has been banned Sandeshkhali for an indefinite period in view of the growing unrest there.
Shahjahan, the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF personnel on January 5, is absconding, and ED sleuths have already issued a lookout notice against him.
Trinamool Congress has already suspended its local party leader and Shahjahan’s close associate Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The cops of West Bengal police have also arrested Sardar based on the complaints filed against him.
The sources said that NCSC might send its full- bench to Sandeshkhali for field inspection and make recommendations to the Union government accordingly.
The NCSC sought report from the state government after West Bengal governor C. V. Ananda Bose, on Saturday, has sought a similar ground report from the state government on situation in Sandeshkhali within the next 24 hours.
The Governor sought the report from the state government, just a couple of hours after the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, issued an ultimatum to lead a delegation to Sandeshkhali by breaching Section 144 on Monday if Bose didn’t take any initiative to restore normalcy in the area.
The mass unrest at Sandeshkhali has been mainly led by the local women who have been alleged that before going underground, Shahjahan and his associates had resorted to massive oppression of the local villagers by grabbing their land as well as by forcing them to provide free labour at the businesses run by them.
The women in Sandeshkhali are too scared to step out of their homes after sunset out of fear of humiliation and molestation at the hands of the absconding Shahjahan and his associates.
On Friday, the protesting women had burnt a poultry farm owned by Shahjahan’s close confidant and Trinamool leader Shibu Hazra.
(IANS)
