Birbhum violence: Revoke prohibitory orders in Bengal village, demands Congress

Kolkata: Amid recent incidents of political violence in West Bengal, state Congress supporters were on Saturday stopped by the police from entering Makra village in Birbhum where prohibitory orders were clamped after three people died in a clash between the Trinamool Congress​ (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on October 27.

According to reports, a delegation of Congress leaders led by state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were whisked away from the outskirts of Makra when they tried to enter the village.

As per television reports, there was shoving and pushing between  Congress leaders and police following attempts to break barriers and enter the village.

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded return of normalcy in the violence-hit Makhra village in West Bengal's Birbhum district where prohibitory orders have been clamped following the death of three people in political clashes Monday

"Devoid of basic amenities including food and drinking water, the condition of the villagers is pitiable to say the least. By clamping prohibitory orders, the administration is terrorizing the people who have been living in the shadow of fear," Chowdhury said.

Over the last few days large scale political violence between the TMC and BJP workers has been reported.

On Thursday, a BJP delegation led by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was taken into preventive custody by West Bengal Police from near a village in Birbhum district. The TMC had justified the police action and accused BJP of creating unrest.

Meanwhile, BJP had yesterday requested West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi to visit the trouble-torn villages of Birbhum district where it alleged there have been instances of police atrocities against locals.

"A BJP delegation was not allowed to go there, so we have appealed to the governor to visit the area as the constitutional head of the state and save the villagers. He has assured that he will consider it," BJP state president Rahul Sinha had told reporters after meeting Tripathi at Raj Bhavan here.

"They don't want the people to get to see BJP," Sinha had said while alleging that police have smashed and looted most of the houses belonging to the members of the minority community apart from breaking tubewells and cutting off electricity connections to their villages.

Noima Bibi from Chowmandalpur in Parui, who accompanied the BJP delegation as it called on the governor, alleged that police had beaten them and forced them to stay in the open fields as their houses were destroyed in the violence. "I don't even have proper clothes left with me to wear," she said.

(With Agency inputs)