A day after powerful Sandeshkhali leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested in connection with the mob attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, the Trinamool Congress suspended him from the party for six years.
At a press meeting to announce the move, party leaders criticized the BJP and challenged it to take action against tainted leaders from its ranks.
Senior party leader Derek O’Brien said the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress stands with the people and “takes no nonsense, no matter who you are”. “If you’ve hurt people or you’ve been accused of hurting people, we talk,” he said.
Bengal Minister Bratya Basu questioned why BJP did not take action against leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma despite many allegations being made against them. “BJP is not Trinamool Congress that it will suspend any leader as soon as he is arrested. Because another name of BJP is washing machine. So if someone from our party is suspended and then he is seen in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally. , then we won.” ‘Don’t be surprised,’ he said.
The Trinamool leader said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had asked the Calcutta High Court to stop the Bengal Police from arresting Sheikh Shahjahan, who was absconding for 55 days. “They wanted to keep the Sandeshkhali issue alive till the Prime Minister’s visit to Bengal. After our leader Abhishek Banerjee’s comment on the High Court stay and the court’s clarification, we went ahead and arrested Sheikh Shahjahan,” the minister said. “Only Trinamool Congress can set such an example.”
The minister said people should remember the example of “Raj Dharma” set by Ms Banerjee.
Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar questioned why the ED did not arrest Shahjahan for so long.
The powerful leader of Sandeshkhali is at the center of serious allegations made by residents of the island in North 24 Parganas district. Residents have accused Shahjahan and his associates of land grabbing and extortion. Allegations of sexual harassment have also come to light.
Shahjahan had been absconding for 55 days and the BJP had accused the ruling Trinamool of protecting him. After his arrest, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said it was a “mutual agreement” between the powerful leader and the Bengal Police. He has said, “Until the central agencies take them into their custody, the people there will not get justice.”
Sharing a video in which Shahjahan is seen entering a court in Bengal, BJP leader Amit Malviya said the Bengal Police is “escorting Sheikh Shahjahan like they will escort CM Mamata Banerjee”.
He alleged, “All these days, Sheikh Shahjahan was under the protection of West Bengal Police. As soon as the Calcutta High Court gave permission to ED and CBI to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, Mamata Banerjee’s police took control of him “
