Kolkata, Feb 20 – As the leader of the opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has started proceeding towards the trouble- hit areas at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, the district administration issued a fresh prohibitory order under Section 144 at 12 new places there.
On Monday, the Calcutta High Court’s single judge bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda allowed the leader of the opposition to visit those places in Sandeshkhali where Section 144 has been withdrawn. Armed with that court order Adhikari started from Kolkata for Sandeshkhali on Tuesday morning, information surfaced about the issuance of fresh prohibitory orders at 12 new places.
Political observers feel that the fresh prohibitory orders were hurriedly imposed on Tuesday morning with the sole intention of preventing the leader of the opposition from reaching the troubled zone at Sandeshkhali at any cost.
Initially, though the district administration imposed Section 144 in 19 village panchayats, at a later stage the prohibitory orders were withdrawn from four.
Earlier, the LoP was stopped twice from going to Sandeshkhali with a team of BJP MLAs. Both times he was stopped at a distance from the entry point.
Thereafter, Adhikari approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to visit the troubled zone.
The CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat is also scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday.
src/dpb
