Hooghly, 06 October (H.S.): Tension broke out in Chandannagar on Tuesday over the drawing of alpana on a road as part of a Seva Prakalpa. Allegedly, objecting to the road being blocked for the activity during office hours, left- and Trinamool Congress-aligned lawyers kicked away the colours and brushes being used. The lawyers, however, denied the allegation.

The lawyers alleged that the route to the Chandannagar Sub-Divisional Court had been virtually blocked. They claimed that when they protested against the obstruction, they were assaulted. Following the incident, angry lawyers locked the main gate of the court and stopped work.

A meeting was subsequently held among the lawyers for some time. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chandannagar Sub-Divisional Court lawyer Sushanta Sengupta alleged that several people attacked them while they were heading towards the court near Chandannagar Stand. He also alleged that drones were used to monitor the court premises and that several senior lawyers were also assaulted.

Sengupta said a complaint would be lodged at Chandannagar Police Station regarding the incident. He further announced that, in protest against the incident, all work at the Chandannagar Sub-Divisional Court would remain suspended for the next three days.

Meanwhile, Chandannagar MLA Dipanjan Guha strongly criticised the incident and questioned how lawyers could take the law into their own hands. He said that if there was any problem, the lawyers could have approached the police or taken legal action, following which the administration could have taken the necessary steps.

The MLA alleged that such incidents were being carried out with political backing. He said the law would take its course and the administration would perform its duties. He also said that if anyone used their profession to engage in wrongdoing, the people would respond.

Referring to Chandannagar as a city of peace, the MLA appealed to everyone to maintain peace. He said those responsible would have to bear responsibility if unrest was created in the city.

The dispute that began over drawing alpana on the road has now escalated into a political war of words. Meanwhile, the decision to suspend court proceedings for three days has raised concerns over the impact on judicial work.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey