His visit to the unrest-hit village came eight days after he sustained injuries during a protest in nearby Taki while trying to enter Sandeshkhali. Majumdar was on Thursday granted permission by the police to visit the trouble-torn area in North 24 Parganas district.
Earlier in the day, police allowed Majumdar to visit Sandeshkhali, which has been rocked by protests over alleged sexual assault on women and land-grabbing, on condition that only his security personnel would be with him and no other BJP leader could accompany him.
Despite a disagreement over the condition, the BJP state president acquiesced to the police’s stipulations. A police officer was heard stating, “You can very well go and visit Sandeshkhali. But only your security personnel would be allowed to accompany you. No other BJP leader would be allowed to accompany you.”
Majumdar, in his attempt to negotiate for the inclusion of the party’s district president due to his unfamiliarity with the terrain, remarked, “This visit was not planned. All of a sudden it was decided. So, if my district president doesn’t accompany me, how will I reach the residences of my local leaders?” However, his request was not granted. Subsequently, during his journey to Sandeshkhali, Majumdar expressed his intent to stand in solidarity with the local populace. “I will meet the locals, my party leaders, and then… talk to the police personnel,” he said.
After meeting party leaders in the area, Majumdar said he wanted to meet local police officials but was denied permission, following which he decided to start an indefinite sit-in. “I will continue my sit-in as long as Shahjahan Sheikh is arrested. It has been so many days, but the police have failed to arrest him,” he said while raising slogans against the state government. After around an hour, police picked up the BJP leaders and took them to Dhamakhali on a boat and later let them go. “All of us, including women, were dragged. We were dragged out and put on a boat. I was arrested and then released on a personal bond. The police heckled women leaders and workers,” Majumdar told media persons after being released in Dhamakhali. On returning to Kolkata, Majumdar met West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan. Sources said he briefed the Governor about his visit to Sandeshkhali.