BJP delegation visits relief camps in Asansol, police says case to be filed against leaders for violating Section 144

Members of a four-panel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation reached Asansol on Sunday to visit relief camps and violence-affected areas, according to several media reports. The delegation consisted of BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha member Om Prakash Mathur, national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, Palamu MP and former director-general of Jharkhand police Vishnu Dayal Ram and Rajya Sabha member Roopa Ganguly.

The team, which was formed by BJP chief  Amit Shah , will submit a report to him on their return. “We have met the affected people and listened to their problems they went through during the time of clash. It is a complete failure of the state government to stop the violence. (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee is roaming around in Delhi but kids here are getting tortured and murdered,” said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, who was part of the team. [caption id=“attachment_4412677” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] “We have come here for peace. We will prepare a complete report and submit it to the party president as directed,” he added. Police accused the BJP delegation of violating the prohibitory orders and said legal action would be taken against them. “They have violated the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) Section 144 imposed in the area. We will take action against them according to law,” Superintendent of Police, Asansol-Durgapur, LN Meena told IANS. The state government on Saturday said that with the dates for the West Bengal panchayat polls announced and the model code of conduct implemented, it would not be able to provide ample security cover for the BJP delegation visiting riot-hit Asansol and Raniganj. The police stopped local MP and BJP leader Babul Supriyo from visiting the area a few days ago, saying it would add to tension in the area. A Congress delegation led by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury was also barred from entering Asansol while Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sujan Chakraborty and his associates were stopped by police from going to Raniganj on Saturday. The Asansol-Raniganj belt saw clashes between two groups of over Ram Navami celebrations resulting in the death of one person. Two police officers were also injured in it. Internet services have been suspended and prohibitory orders under Section 144 OF CrPC are still in force in both towns, a senior police officer said. With inputs from agencies