By PTI
KOLKATA: BJP’s West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar was arrested on Saturday afternoon when he tried to visit violence-hit Howrah district, police said.
Majumdar, the MP of Balurghat in Uttar Dinajpur, was arrested near the toll plaza on Vidyasagar Setu, they said.
“Mr Majumdar was trying to travel to Howrah where prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 have been clamped. His visit could have created a law and order situation. This is a preventive arrest,” a senior police officer told PTI.
Violence rocked parts of Howrah on Friday following the inflammatory remarks of now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday expressed concern over the “worsening law and order” situation in the state, following protests in several parts of Howrah district.
He asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deal sternly with the problem and take action against lawbreakers.
“Concerned at worsening law & order situation. Inaction @chief_west@WBPolice @KolkataPolice is unfortunate endorsement of the criminality of law violators. Appeal #MamataBanerjee to sternly deal with lawbreakers. All involved be identified and arrested,” Dhankhar wrote on Twitter.
The situation in Howrah, which witnessed violent protests against controversial remarks of suspended BJP spokespersons, was peaceful on Saturday morning, officials said.
Protesters clashed with police personnel in Dhulagarh, Panchla and Uluberia areas when law enforcers tried to end a blockade on a national highway stretch on Friday.
They set police vehicles on fire and damaged public property during the agitations.
Internet services have been suspended across the district till June 13 and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC imposed in several areas such as Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.
Commuters had to face problems as road and railway tracks were blocked by protesters in the district.
Several local and express trains were cancelled due to the violence.
