CPI(M), Congress delegation stopped from visiting Gandacherra; Jiten, Sudip raises question

Two separate delegations of the opposition CPI(M) and the Congress party were on Monday stopped from visiting Gandatwisa (Gandacherra) in Dhalai district where violence between two communities claimed a life earlier this month.

CPI(M) delegation was led by Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury and the Congress delegation was headed by its state president Asish Kumar Saha, where the MLA Sudip Roy Barman was also present.

The CPI(M) delegation was stopped near Amarpur in Gomati district on the ground that prohibitory orders were in place in Gandatwisa.

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarter on Monday evening, CPI(M) MLA Jitendra Choudhury said, “We were on the way to Gandatwisa to meet the people who are living in a temporary camp following the violence but the police stopped us. The police or administration can't stop us from meeting the violence-hit people citing prohibitory orders."

“We spoke to the district magistrate on Sunday and was given permission to visit the area, but despite that the police on Monday restrained us from visiting Gandatwisa. Police can't curtail the liberty of a person. I will raise the issue at the appropriate level," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on Monday stated that the administration’s claim of normalcy contrasts sharply with the denial of access to elected representatives and leaders of opposition political parties.

“Yesterday night we got permission from the DM and accordingly were on our way to Gandacherra today. And now all of a sudden, they are handing me a paper mentioning that we are not allowed to visit,” he said and argued that if the situation is indeed normal, there should be no impediment to leaders visiting the area.

He further alleged that the police officials are biased and are playing partial roles towards the opposition.