Scheduled Castes panel chief submits report on Sandeshkhali violence to President Murmu; recommends President's rule in Bengal

PTI

New Delhi, February 16

NCSC chief Arun Halder on Friday said the commission has recommended the imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on alleged harassment of women by TMC supporters in Sandeshkhali.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken note of a troubling incident involving the assault on a woman resident and the callous throwing away of her infant daughter by miscreants in Sandeshkhali and issued a notice to the North 24 Parganas district administration, urging a swift investigation into the matter and emphasizing the need for proper rehabilitation of the affected family.

A delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had 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.

Speaking to reporters after submitting the report to the President, Halder shared a brief account of “atrocities and violence endured by the people of Sandeshkhali”.

“We have recommended that President’s rule should be imposed in West Bengal over the situation there under Article 338 that aims to safeguard rights of SCs,” Halder said.

According to the mandate given to the NCSC under Article 338 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the Commission to present to the President annually and at other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of the constitutional safeguards of the Scheduled Castes.

He said the President assured the NCSC that she will look into the matter and take proper action.

Halder said the state government tried to dissuade them from visiting the area, citing the law and order situation there and made no arrangements for their visit when they landed in the state.

“Criminals in the state have joined hands with the government there,” he claimed.

The violence in Sandeshkhali is also impacting the people from Scheduled Caste communities, Halder said.

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.

He said West Bengal has the second highest SC population in the country and they are suffering due to the violence. He said over the matter of violence, the NCSC has also sent a notice to the state government to take immediate action.

“The state is supposed to protect them but that is not happening and they are in fact suffering under the state government rule,” he said.

Senior leaders of the BJP and the Congress were stopped by police on Friday from visiting the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali, escalating the political tensions in the state as the leaders accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fostering a “lawless situation” and attempting to “communalise” the issue.

Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh has been absconding since January 5 when a mob attacked Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid at his residence in connection with an alleged ration scam.

His aide Sibhu Hazra is also at large.

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