AISF MLA Naushad Siddique arrested on way to Sandeshkhali

Kolkata, Feb 27 (IANS) Naushad Siddique, the sole All India Secular Front (AISF) representative in West Bengal Assembly, was arrested on Tuesday morning as he was on his way to trouble-ridden Sandeshkhali where fresh tension has erupted over the continued protest.

Siddique was not even allowed to step out of the periphery of Kolkata as his convoy was stopped in front of Science City in the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.

As the police stopped his vehicle, Siddique entered into a heated exchange of words with the police officials. He demanded the police to cite the reason for his arrest claiming that he had neither breached any rule nor had tried to move forward by breaking the barricade raised by the cops.

“I have been arrested at a place which is over 60 kilometers from Sandeshkhali. They are citing the reason for Section 144 imposed there to prevent me. But Section 144 is not imposed at the place where I am being stopped. Moreover, not more than three persons were with me,” Siddique told newspersons before getting into the prison van of the police.

He was taken to the Kolkata Police Headquarters of Lalbazar in central Kolkata. Sidduqe’s attempt to reach Sandeshkhali was amid fresh protests by the local women against local Trinamool Congress leader Shankar Sardar accused of forceful grabbing of land and its conversion into pisciculture farms by flowing in saline water besides complaints of sexual harassment and violence against women.

On Monday, local women with sticks and brooms in their hands assembled in front of the residence of local Trinamool leader Shankar Sardar, known to be a close confidante of both the absconding ruling party leaders Sheikh Shahjahan and his younger brother Sheikh Sirajuddin.

Besides raising slogans demanding Shankar Sardar’s arrest, the protesting women also destroyed portions of the outer periphery of his residence. A police contingent was deployed in front of his house to prevent any fresh attack.