Stopped from distributing relief material, say 3 BJP MPs

“I have apprised the Lok Sabha Speaker and the privilege committee of the matter. Being an MP, I have the right to visit my constituency. I will also file a case against the police for stopping me from doing my constitutional work,” Singh told mediapersons.

Police officers were not not available for comment.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted that Alipurduars MP Barla had been placed under house arrest.

Barla said he was stopped by the police while he was carrying out relief work at tea gardens in his constituency on Sunday.

“I wanted to reach out to the people in tea gardens and help them. But, over 40 policemen have been posted outside my residenc… I am being kept in house arrest,” he said, adding that he had written to Home Minister Amit Shah. The district police were not available for comment.

Jayanta Kumar Roy was allegedly prevented from distributing relief materials on Tuesday, and placed under house arrest.

“If ruling TMC leaders distribute relief materials, then there is no problem,” said state BJP president Dilip Ghosh. “But when our leaders are trying to do the same, they are stopped in the name of prohibition of congregation of more than seven people.”

The TMC dismissed the allegations, calling them baseless, and asked the BJP not to indulge in “cheap politics”. State minister Partha Chatterjee wondered why BJP leaders were putting lives at risk by conducting relief programmes at a time when social distancing needs to be practised.

Meanwhile, a case was filed against BJP MP from Bankura, Subhash Sarkar, for his comments about the cremation of two bodies in the district.

With inputs from PTI