By IANS,
Kolkata : A Congress delegation led by All India Youth Congress general secretary Usha Naidu was allegedly forcibly prevented by Trinamool Congress supporters from entering Khejuri in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district Monday.
Naidu alleged that more than 100 armed agitators belonging to the Trinamool Congress stopped them at Miya More, some 15-20 km from Khejuri, bordering Nandigram.
They also manhandled Dipak Maity, district president of Congress Seva Dal, in front of police and damaged two vehicles including that of the party’s district president, she alleged.
“The agitators equipped with iron rods and a tank containing petrol blocked the road leading to Khejuri at Miya More. They prevented us from entering Khejuri, where a party meeting was scheduled Monday morning. They threatened to set us ablaze after pouring petrol on us, if we proceeded further towards Nandigram,” Usha Naidu told IANS over phone.
East Midnapore district Superintendent of Police Ashok Biswas told IANS that a case of “wrongful prevention” has been registered against those responsible for the incident following a complaint lodged by the Congress delegation.
“The complaint made by the delegation at the Heria police station did not name anybody. We now have to identify and arrest the culprits,” he said.
Biswas said the Trinamool activists had objected to the Congress holding a meeting in their area saying they would not allow outsiders to do so “as their security could be endangered”.
They also asked the delegation why they had not taken permission from the Trinamool leadership for the meeting.
Biswas, however, described as “exaggerated” the Congress’ allegation that police had been silent observers during the incident.
“As per information with us, the mob was between 100-200 strong. We cannot fire on such a large mob. That would have compounded the problems,” he said.