Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the judiciary, accusing the judges of shielding Sheikh Shahjahan, who belongs to his party and has been at the heart of allegations that he ran a criminal enterprise in Sandeshkhali, where he grabbed people's lands, forced them to work at exploitative wages and had his acquaintances assault including rape - people who spoke up.
"The judiciary is guarding. Sheikh Shahjahan - and I put this on record so that Sandeshkhali remains on the boil, remains in the headlines. The TMC government will not spare anyone if the allegations are genuine but the Calcutta high court has tied the hands of the police," Banerjee, the nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, said on Sunday evening.
Sandeshkhali, a block with several villages nestled between lakes and marshes of the lower Ganga wetlands, has been rocked by violent protests since February 7, when villagers descended upon poultry farm linked to Shahjahan's aide and set it alight.
The issue has since emerged at the heart of a political war, led by the opposition BJP which has accused Trinamool of protecting its cadre.
The matter could remain in the spotlight with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to visit the state on March 6 to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, although the venue of his programme has not yet been disclosed.
This story is from the February 26, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 26, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Palestinian PM Resigns Citing 'New Reality' Of War In Gaza
The United States and other powers have called for a reformed Palestinian Authority to take charge of all Palestinian territories after the end of war
Future Perfect: The Kids Are All Right
Gill and Jurel hold out promise by simplifying a challenging chase to help India seal series
Akshay feels 'blessed' to have worked with OG Ramayan cast
Director Akshay K Agarwal shot a music video, Humare Ram Aaye Hai, with the cast of the 1987 TV show, Ramayanactors Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri - in Ayodhya recently.
Musk's firm gets nod for Sat Net; joins Jio, Bharti
Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been allowed to offer satellite broadband services in India, two officials aware of the development said.
A temple, 169 years in the making
Through decades of design and reworks, hurdles in engineering and construction, HT pieces together how the grandeur of the Ram Temple was reclaimed
'Political interference' forces Vihari to quit Andhra cricket
After Andhra bowed out of the Ranji Trophy at the quarter-final stage with a four-run defeat to Madhya Pradesh in Indore on Monday, senior batter Hanuma Vihari launched a scathing attack on the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), saying he will never turn up for the state again.
Shafali, Kapp lead Capitals to a 9-wicket win over Warriorz
A blazing fifty by Shafali Verma (64₹, 43 balls) helped Delhi Capitals make a mockery of a target of 120 and open their account in the second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
Making 'unbelievable things believable', the Ayhika way
The India No. 7 was an inspired pick for the world team event and she repaid the faith, beating the Chinese world No.1
'Connected TVs to reach 45 mn by 2024-end in India'
With improvement in broadband penetration, Indian households are increasingly opting for connected or addressable TVs.
India chip strategy makes progress as $21 billion in proposals received
The Indian government, after years of watching from the sidelines of the chips race, now has to evaluate $21 billion of semiconductor proposals and divvy up taxpayer support between foreign chipmakers, local champions or some combination of the two.
