BJP leader Suvendu Adhikhari and 'post-poll violence victims' stopped from entering Raj Bhavan

The Kolkata Police cited Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent the BJP leader and alleged post-poll violence victims from entering Raj Bhavan

BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari and alleged victims of post-poll violence were prevented from entering Raj Bhavan by the Kolkata Police on Thursday, citing section 144 of the Criminal Proecedure Code (CrPC), according to PTI.

BJP's Suvendhu and 'post-poll violence victims stopped from entering Raj Bhavan (PTI)

PTI reported that they were scheduled to meet the West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose to demand justice for the alleged victims of violence so they could return home, but as Adhikari's car entered the Governor House, the police stated that section 144 was in effect and large gatherings were prohibited.

Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, said that he would move the Calcutta High Court against the Kolkata Police for ‘arbitrarily’ stopping him, according to PTI.

In the PTI report, he also said, “I have waited for more than one hour but the police are not allowing us inside. The Governor gave me an appointment and the police had the audacity to violate his instructions. I also communicated with the Governor’s office. As the police have stopped me from entering the Raj Bhavan premises, the Governor’s ADC told me that a report has been sought from the state government".

In response to the use of Section 144 against large gatherings PTI reported that Adhikari said, “We were not conducting any rally here. We have brought around 200 victims (of post-poll violence), whom the Governor allowed to come to Raj Bhavan”.

“We have also got a considerable amount of votes and 12 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. The TMC government cannot behave in such an authoritarian style that they are not allowing us to enter the Raj Bhavan as the police look after the premises outside the Governor’s House,” he added, according to PTI.

An unnamed BJP leader, according to PTI, also accused the Kolkata Police of double standards, stating that, “We fail to understand how there are two sets of rules. Last year, Abhishek Banerjee organized a sit-in outside Raj Bhavan. There was no Sec 144 violation at that time, but as we want to meet the Governor, there is a violation of prohibitory orders."

The BJP has accused the TMC of post-poll violence against the state's ruling party TMC, which they denied.

According to PTI, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh commented on the accusation and said, “Allegations of TMC unleashing post-poll violence are completely wrong. It is the other way around. TMC workers have been attacked, beaten up and also killed in areas where the BJP has won the election. In Purba Medinipur district's Khejuri, our party workers have been beaten up and rendered homeless.”

The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, won 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The BJP, on the other hand, got 12 seats in 2024 as compared to 18 in 2019.