WB: Police stop BJP delegations on way to violence-hit Malda, Murshidabad; arrest 2 MPs

Kolkata, Dec 18: BJP MPs Nishith Pramanik and Khagen Murmu were arrested on Wednesday, as police stopped two delegations led by senior party leaders on their way to violence-hit areas of Malda and Murshidabad districts, officials said.

The two BJP lawmakers were arrested when they tried to visit the violence-hit areas of the Malda district, police sources said.

The delegation was not allowed as it might further worsen the situation in those areas, which have been limping back to normalcy after four days of constant violence, they said.

A delegation led by BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and MP Soumitra Khan was also stopped from visiting violence-hit areas of the Murshidabad district, party leaders said.

Vijayvargiya was stopped at Nabagram and Mourgram areas of the district where groups of people, said to be TMC workers, blocked roads and shouted slogans against the Modi government.

He claimed that he was even heckled by the TMC workers, who also abused him. The allegations were denied by the TMC.

"On my way to Murshidabad, goons of TMC surrounded our car in Nabagram. We were not allowed to go to a programme that we had to attend. There is an attempt to stop us, on directions of Mamata Banerjee. I condemn this," Vijayvargiya said.

"The police are trying to hide something. Infiltrators blocked roads and tried to attack our convoy. The police personnel were just mute spectator," he alleged.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while reacting to the BJP delegation being stopped, said the party was trying to foment trouble in those areas.

"Why are they visiting these areas now? They want to create trouble over there. When violence was going on? What were they doing? Were they sleeping?" Mamata hit back.

The Trinamool Congress leadership termed the BJP's allegations baseless and accused the saffron party of vitiating the atmosphere. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also condemned the alleged heckling of Vijayvargiya and said he was hopeful that the administration is looking into the incident.