Sandeshkhali Violence: NCSC Chairman Recommends Prez Rule in West Bengal

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has recommended the imposition of President's rule in West Bengal in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu. Speaking to the media in New Delhi, NCSC Chairman Arun Halder said the people in Sandeshkhali were scared to speak against Shahjahan Sheikh and his gang as they created a tense atmosphere.

New Delhi: National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Arun Halder on Friday submitted a report to the President on Sandeshkhali violence and recommended imposition of President's rule in West Bengal. Addressing the media at Lok Nayak Bhavan, New Delhi, the chairman, who visited Sandeshkhali on Thursday, in his address noted, "When we visited Sandeshkhali on February 15, Shahjahan Sheikh and his gang had created a terrified atmosphere that people were so scared to speak out."

"They were saying that he and his gang would attack them again once we leave...we went to Sandeshkhali Police Station, but they fled after seeing us and did not talk to us...we have sent a report to President Droupadi Murmu...under Article 338 of the Constitution, scheduled castes and tribes need to be protected, but it is being violated, and that, too, with the support of the government. So, the President's rule can be imposed here (West Bengal)," he said.

Further attacking the TMC and West Bengal's police for acting like a cadre of a political party, he said that "when we visited the Sandeshkhali, the atmosphere was very tense. The women there wanted to say so many things, but they were unable to say those things, but we understand what they wanted to say. The police there were not listening to us and it was very insulting to us. The police were acting like a cadre of the political party."

The violence in Sandeshkhali is also impacting the people from Scheduled Caste communities, Halder noted in his comments. It is pertinent to note that a delegation of the NCSC visited Sandeshkhali on Thursday after a large number of women claimed that TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters captured swathes of land by force and also sexually harassed them.

Many women in Sandeshkhali are demanding the immediate arrest of Sheikh, who has been absconding since an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that raided his house in connection with an alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob last month.