On Wednesday, during the journey of several buses carrying women from Sandeshkhali to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Barasat, West Bengal, they reportedly faced multiple stops by the police, citing "security protocol."
Scheduled to address the rally at Kachari Maidan in Barasat, which is situated in North 24 Parganas where Sandeshkhali is located, PM Modi's event drew significant attention. The state BJP took initiative to arrange buses for the women from Sandeshkhali, who allegedly faced mistreatment by suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates, to reach the rally venue, approximately 80 km away.
According to a BJP leader traveling on one of the buses, they were first halted at the Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town, and then again at Airport Gate 1 en route to Barasat, all under the pretext of security protocol. The leader accused the police of attempting to obstruct their journey to the PM's rally.
Contrary to these claims, the police clarified that the traffic restrictions were imposed as per security measures, especially since the PM's convoy would traverse the same route to reach Barasat. "The traffic movement on the entire stretch has been restricted due to security reasons," stated a police officer.
Earlier, State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had expressed willingness to facilitate a meeting between the women of Sandeshkhali and the PM if they desired it.
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