Hooghly, 31 May (H.S.): The police have arrested 10 people, including former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Asit Majumdar, on charges of obstructing police duties and allegedly scuffling with police personnel during a protest in Hooghly district. The arrests, made on Sunday morning, have triggered fresh political controversy in the area.

According to reports, TMC workers staged a road blockade at Pipulpati in Hooghly on Saturday to protest the alleged attack on the party’s National General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur. The demonstration was led by former Chinsurah MLA Asit Majumdar.

On Saturday, Abhishek Banerjee reportedly faced public protests while travelling to Sonarpur. Allegations surfaced that raw eggs, shoes and pieces of bricks were hurled at his convoy, while protesters raised “chor-chor” (thief-thief) slogans against him.

The TMC has further alleged that the situation turned violent and that Abhishek Banerjee was physically assaulted after his helmet was removed during the commotion.

In protest against the incident, TMC supporters blocked the road at Pipulpati. When police personnel arrived to clear the blockade and restore traffic movement, an argument reportedly broke out between the protesters and the police. Authorities alleged that demonstrators obstructed police personnel from performing their duties and were involved in pushing and jostling with officers. The road blockade was later removed and traffic was restored.

In connection with the incident, Chinsurah Police on Sunday arrested former MLA Asit Majumdar along with Chinsurah Municipality Chairman Soumitra Ghosh, Vice-Chairman Partha Saha, councillors Ranjan Raha, Nirmal Chakraborty and Samir Sarkar, among others. A total of 10 TMC leaders and workers were taken into custody.

All those arrested were first taken to Chinsurah Imambara Sadar Hospital for medical examination before being produced before a court.

The incident has further heightened tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the administration. Police maintain that the action was taken on the basis of allegations of obstructing government work and disrupting law and order, while the TMC has described the arrests as an act of political vendetta.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey