Kolkata: Arrested in April 2012 for circulating cartoons lampooning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on email, Ambikesh Mahapatra is now contesting the Bengal assembly elections against her party as an independent candidate.
Professor Mahapatra is contesting from the Behala East constituency against Trinamool heavyweight and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee. The Chemistry teacher from Jadhavpur University is now member of a group called 'Aakranta Aamaraa' or 'we, the attacked.' Their war cry is: restore democracy and freedom of speech in the state. Protima Dutta from the group is contesting from Domjur in Howrah. Dutta's husband, a Trinamool activist, was killed in 2011 allegedly by a rival faction within her own party for protesting against an illegal construction.
Campaigning for Prof Mahapatra is Shiladitya Chowdhury, who was branded a Maoist for questioning the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on rising fertiliser prices. He's unable to get over the trauma of being jailed, he told NDTV, "All citizens in West Bengal should give a fitting reply to Mamata Banerjee. We have been tortured. We have stood up to it."
"Mr Mahapatra was arrested in a situation four or five years ago. At that time the administration could not enter certain parts of Bengal. Every day there would be murders and these were Maoist conspiracies," Mr Chatterjee told NDTV.
Professor Mahapatra is contesting from the Behala East constituency against Trinamool heavyweight and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee. The Chemistry teacher from Jadhavpur University is now member of a group called 'Aakranta Aamaraa' or 'we, the attacked.' Their war cry is: restore democracy and freedom of speech in the state. Protima Dutta from the group is contesting from Domjur in Howrah. Dutta's husband, a Trinamool activist, was killed in 2011 allegedly by a rival faction within her own party for protesting against an illegal construction.
Campaigning for Prof Mahapatra is Shiladitya Chowdhury, who was branded a Maoist for questioning the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on rising fertiliser prices. He's unable to get over the trauma of being jailed, he told NDTV, "All citizens in West Bengal should give a fitting reply to Mamata Banerjee. We have been tortured. We have stood up to it."
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"Mr Mahapatra was arrested in a situation four or five years ago. At that time the administration could not enter certain parts of Bengal. Every day there would be murders and these were Maoist conspiracies," Mr Chatterjee told NDTV.
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