A Congress team led by state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was stopped by police today
For the second time this week, the Congress tried but failed to enter Makra village in West Bengal where three people were killed in clashes between supporters of the BJP and Trinamool Congress on Monday.
The Congress team, stopped today by police, was led by state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The police had barred their way citing Section 144, just as they had stopped BJP and CPI(M) leaders earlier this week.
"Mamata Banerjee should visit the village," said Mr Chowdhury. "She should talk to the affected people. For the last four-five days, nobody is being allowed to go inside the village. This is nothing but a sort of autocracy being perpetrated by the ruling regime."
Unable to break police barricades, Mr Chowdhury did the next best thing -- he sat on dharna for a bit and then climbed on the bonnet of a car to make a speech. Villagers streamed in to listen to him and berated the police for blockading Makra.
"Why will they allow the netas in?" said Md Shahidul Isalm, a villager.
"Then the real truth about the government will come out. The condition of the village is terrible. The police have broken people's homes. This should not become public. That's why the government is not allowing people in," he added.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has still not responded, not even to Mr Chowdhury's barbs.
Tomorrow, the BJP is expected to send a second team to Birbhum district with relief material for Makra.