Kolkata: West Bengal police on Thursday detained BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi along with other party leaders for trying to defy prohibitory orders by entering the violence-ridden Makra village in Birbhum district.
The prohibition was announced after three people were killed on Monday during clashes between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in the area in West Bengal.
Other prominent BJP leaders arrested included party state president Rahul Sinha and its lawmaker Kirti Azad and Udit Raj.
Police said the BJP leaders were arrested when they tried to enter the village in violation of the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
“We had repeatedly requested them not to come as Section 144 has been imposed and gathering of more than three people is a violation of the law,” an official of the district police said.
BJP leaders accused the TMC government of trying to “gag the Opposition with brute force” and covering up the incidents in Makra.
“Police are trying to impose section 144 to prevent us [from going in]. But where was their concern for law when TMC goons entered the village on Monday and killed our party workers. The probationary orders were imposed on October 25,” Sinha claimed.
Naqvi and other BJP leaders were involved in a spat with the police, as they demanded to be allowed entry. Later they were arrested when they tried to enter the village. A scuffle ensued as the BJP workers tried to break police barricades.
Naqvi claimed that he sustained injuries when the police personnel dragged him into the van.
Criticising the police action, Naqvi said, “It is a murder of democracy. The TMC government is trying to hide what happened in Makra village. It is a shame”.
BJP vice-president also asked the state government to use its force to curb terror elements in the state and not heckle political workers.
“TMC government has become synonymous with terrorists and mafia and they are letting the anti-national forces to use the land of Bengal for terrorist activities. They should use the police force to curb the menace and not attack peaceful democratic visits”.
The BJP state unit has already approached the Election Commission, asking the body to declare TMC as a “terrorist party”.
“Thousands of cases of rape are being reported ever since the TMC government was sworn in 2011. At least 5,000 people from opposition parties were hospitalised. Also it has been established that the party has links with terrorist organisations like Jamat-ul-Mujahideen of Bangladesh. They have even funded them with the money from Saradha scam,” Sinha alleged.
