Calcutta HC allows LoP to visit Sandeshkhali areas where Sec 144 has been withdrawn

Kolkata, Feb 19 A single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, allowed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari to visit those places in Sandeshkhali where Section 144 has been withdrawn. Following the court order, Adhikari plans to reach the area on Tuesday.

Initially, though the district administration imposed Section 144 in 19 village panchayats, at a later stage the prohibitory orders were withdrawn from four.

As per the order of the single-judge Bench of Justice Kausik Chanda, the LoP will have no restriction in visiting those areas in Sandeshkhali where there are no prohibitory orders in place.

Earlier, the LoP was stopped twice from approaching Sandeshkhali when he tried to go there with a team of BJP MLAs. Both times he was stopped at quite a distance from the entry point.

Thereafter, Adhikari approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to visit the troubled zone.

The counsel of the state government said since Adhikari was not a resident of Sandeshkhali there was no reason for him to go there till the situation was totally normalised.

The state government’s counsel also said that there were inputs from the West Bengal intelligence agencies on what could happen at Sandeshkhali if the LoP reaches there.

Welcoming Monday’s court order Adhikari said that the court has rightly recognised his argument of not being allowed to go even to those places at Sandeshkhali where Section 144 is not there.

“I will go to Sandeshkhali tomorrow with a small team of our party legislators and try to interact with the people there,” he said.

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