Road Blockage Sparks Controversy: Bengal BJP President's Meeting in Jalpaiguri Draws Criticism
Traffic Halted as Political Rally Raises Concerns and Accusations
The Bengal BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar, blocked a major road for more than an hour on Saturday in order to hold a public meeting in Jalpaiguri.
Trinamul called the meeting illegal and said Majumdar had provoked the locals of Jalpaiguri with this kind of action.
BJP leaders, led by Majumdar, staged a rally on Saturday afternoon from a Netajipara club ground. Through the town's center, on DBC Road, the rally arrived at the district BJP office.
Workers from the BJP erected a temporary dais on the road at around 4 p.m. Traffic was stopped as Majumdar, MP Jayanta Roy, district BJP president Bapi Goswami, and other individuals stood on the dais and gave statements.
Hundreds of people diverted at rush hour in the evening.
Majumdar attacked the "corruption" of Trinamul in a harsh tone.
"Several (Trinamul) leaders are involved in corruption in north Bengal, including Jalpaiguri. They are on par with Sandeshkhali's Sheikh Shahjahan. We own their dossiers," he declared.
An hour later, the meeting was over. The dais was moved, and traffic restarted after another twenty minutes.
"How can a political party's state president close a route and convene a conference without the police's consent? It's against the law. According to Mahua Gope, the head of Trinamul district, "their idea was to provoke people who were puzzled at the sudden closure of the road." "BJP politicians would have yelled at the top of their lungs, criticizing Jappaiguri's law and order if there had been any unrest. It's fortunate that locals avoided falling for this ruse."
Leaders of Trinamul also questioned why the police permitted the meeting without authorization. In his speech, Majumdar had expressed gratitude to the cops.
Senior police declined to comment further. An officer stated, "We had personnel posted in appropriate locations to maintain law and order."
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