The opposition TMC on Sunday night alleged that barricades were placed with heavy police deployment outside the residence of former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
KOLKATA — The opposition TMC on Sunday night alleged that barricades were placed with heavy police deployment outside the residence of former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to prevent her from visiting the family of an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Baruipur South 24 Parganas district.
The BJP dismissed the allegation, describing it as an attempt by the TMC to "manufacture a controversy" over a routine security arrangement.
Senior TMC leaders claimed that more than 10 police vehicles, along with barricades, had been stationed in the narrow lane outside Banerjee's Kalighat house, and the nearby residence of the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh alleged in a social media post that the former CM had planned to visit Baruipur, but a "huge police force" and barricades were deployed outside her residence to prevent her from leaving.
The party's official social media accounts also termed the deployment an attempt to intimidate the opposition.
"BJP's only agenda -- choke the opposition. Restrict their voices. Restrict their movement. Restrict their democratic rights. With heavy police deployment, route marches are suspiciously being conducted right outside the residences of our Hon'ble Chairperson @MamataOfficial and our Hon'ble National General Secretary @abhishekaitc," the TMC alleged in a post on X.
"This is an alarming situation and raises serious questions. It appears to be nothing more than a deliberate and cowardly display of intimidation by the @BJP4Bengal Government, driven by someone's insecurity and pettiness," it added.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien also questioned the deployment, alleging that police vehicles had been deliberately positioned to block Banerjee's movement.
"What's going on in Bengal? For hours now, 10-plus police cars deliberately parked in the narrow lane just outside the house of @MamataOfficial. The devious ploy to jam the lane and prevent her from leaving her home to visit the family of the child brutally raped and murdered in Baruipur," he said in a post.
The allegations came hours after the body of the girl, who had gone missing a day earlier, was recovered from the Surjyapur Haat area of Baruipur, around 15 km from Kolkata.
The body was found stuffed inside a sack, sparking protests by local residents, who blocked roads, burnt tyres and vandalised police vehicles while demanding immediate action against those responsible.
The incident later took a violent turn when an enraged mob allegedly lynched a man accused of involvement in the crime. Police subsequently arrested four persons in connection with the girl's death.
Rejecting the TMC's allegations, state BJP chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said the opposition was trying to create a political issue where none existed.
"The TMC is trying to enact a drama and make an issue out of a non-issue. When the former chief minister's favourite PSOs were replaced with new personnel, the TMC protested then too. She is a Z-plus category protectee. If police are patrolling outside her residence, what is wrong with that? Has she or her party been told by the administration that she cannot step outside her residence?" Sarkar told PTI.