Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], February 24 : Congress leader and MP Baharampur Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Sunday that the people of West Bengal have lost complete faith in the Bengal Police, and feel threatened as the police work on the directions given by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.
"The state police are working on the directions given by the TMC government in the state. That is why an atmosphere of fear has been created amongst the people here," the Baharampur MP said.
Speaking on the deployment of central forces on March 1, 2024, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, thanked the Election Commission, saying, the issue of insecurity amongst the people of Bengal was raised by him at a meeting with the Election Commission held in Delhi.
"I had raised this issue before the Election Commission. I presented this demand that, before the commencement of elections, forces should be deployed as state police work under the direction of the ruling TMC," he said.
"When two years ago, elections were being held in Sagar, I had asked the Election Commission to send central forces, and deploying the forces just 2 days before the polling won't help, as security forces from outside the state, if deployed, would help the people fearlessly step out to vote," he added.
He further demanded that people be given assurance that there would be peaceful election procedures in the state.
The development comes amid the ongoing chaos in Sandeshkhali over alleged violence against the women of the area. The incident has triggered massive outrage, and the accused of the alleged violence is said to be a TMC leader, who is at large, and an operation to nab him is underway.
Meanwhile, when the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC) called for the imposition of President's Rule in Bengal after visiting Sandeshkhali, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that neither the BJP nor the NDA government at the centre would mobilise steps to do so.
The Congress state chief, who was leading a protest at Rampur after he was stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali on Friday, claimed that both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP stand to benefit electorally in the event of a 'communal polarisation' in the state.
Earlier on Sunday, West Bengal ministers visited Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas.
Meanwhile, six members of the fact-finding team, including former Patna HC Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy, OP Vyas, Charu Wali Khanna, Bhavna Bajaj, Rajpal Singh, and Sanjeev Nayak were released from PHQ Lal Bazaar, Kolkata. They were arrested by West Bengal Police at Bhojerhat.
A member of the Fact-Finding Committee and former Patna HC Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy said, "We were arrested under section 151 CrPC. They brought us here and after bail documentation, we were released. We are going to meet the Governor and describe the situation to him."
Opposing the arrest made earlier he said that he did nothing to get arrested.
Further requesting the centre, he said, "This decision (of implementing President's Rule) can only be taken by the Government...."