In the city of Kolkata, a delegation from the NHRC embarked on their second consecutive day of inquiry into the tumultuous circumstances of Sandeshkhali. Their focus: allegations surrounding land acquisition by certain TMC leaders. Simultaneously, a CPI(M) contingent led by Minakshi Mukhopadhyay undertook a visit to the strife-ridden region in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Amidst an uneasy tranquility, law enforcement patrolled the area. Mukhopadhyay, accompanied by party luminary Palash Das, engaged with local residents during their rounds.
ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar also made a sojourn to the region. Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, a prominent BJP figure, drew parallels between the situation in Sandeshkhali and the historic events of Nandigram. He likened it to the movement against “coercive” land procurement by the erstwhile Left Front government in 2007-08, a movement that propelled the TMC to power in 2011. In Kolkata, Adhikari conveyed, “The state in Sandeshkhali mirrors Nandigram… residents have leveled grave accusations of land usurpation, electoral malpractice, sexual misconduct, and subversion of democratic principles in the locality.”
Prohibitory orders, pursuant to Section 144 of CrPC, continue to be in effect in specific areas of Sandeshkhali. The region has been convulsed by protests, primarily focusing on alleged land encroachment and sexual impropriety perpetrated by local TMC dignitaries, notably Sheikh Shajahan and his sibling Sirajuddin Sheikh. The unrest commenced when a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, conducting a search at Shajahan’s residence on January 5, faced an assault from a mob purportedly linked to the local TMC leadership.
The area also witnessed visits from representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, as well as the national ST and SC commissions, and the National Commission for Women. The Director General of Police, in a bid to instill confidence among the villagers, visited the area on two occasions.