Kolkata: Kolkata Police, effective from Saturday morning, issued a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, barring the assembly of a certain number of people in a particular area around the residence of the Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour Constituency in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal at Kalighat in South Kolkata.
The prohibitory order will be in force for a period of two months, confirmed an official of the city police. The prohibitory orders have been issued after clashes between the BJP and Mamata All India Trinamool Congress activists on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
As per the information available, the prohibitory order will be in force starting from Kalighat Bridge, stretching up to nearby Balaram Bose Ghat Road, Harish Mukherjee Road, and Hazra Road in the area near the residence of the Diamond Harbour MP.
The city police, at the same time, have intensified surveillance to ensure that no gathering takes place in front of the house of Abhishek, also the nephew of the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata Banerjee is yet to issue any statement or give any media byte on the clashes in front of the residence of her nephew, despite the Diamond Harbour MP claiming that the deliberate clash was actually the seventh attempt on his life in the last six months.
The clashes broke out in phases between 2.30 a.m. and 3.30 a.m., when the Diamond Harbour MP was celebrating his 39th birthday after midnight.
What started with an altercation finally turned into scuffles and stone pelting. Abhishek alleged that there was an attempt on his life and accused the BJP supporters of ransacking a nearby party office of his party.
According to police sources, several people from both sides were injured in the incident. Upon learning of the clashes, a large police contingent reached the spot, and they had to resort to baton charges to disperse the members of the two clashing rival groups.
Later, Abhishek started a sit-in protest in front of his house Friday night over the incident. As the on-duty police officers asked them to move away from that place, since it might result in further escalation of tension, the Diamond Harbour MP also entered into an argument with the on-duty cops.
Finally Saturday morning, at around 6:30 a.m., he entered his house after the police intervened.
Saturday is Abhishek’s 39th birthday. On that occasion, MAITC workers and supporters gathered in front of the Kalighat residence of the Diamond Harbour MP after midnight Friday.
Allegedly, the BJP workers suddenly appeared there at around 2.30 a.m. and started shouting slogans of “thief, thief”.
Trinamool supporters alleged that Abhishek’s picture, cutouts, and banners hung with birthday wishes were torn by the BJP workers.
When Trinamool supporters tried to stop this, an argument started between the two groups. After this, clashes broke out. At that point in time, Abhishek came out of the house and met the injured followers. “There is a plot to attack and kill me,” he said.
Later he also issued a social media statement, where he launched a scathing attack against the BJP and the police.
“After two days of continuous recce, this is how BJP hooligans attacked my house at 2 a.m. today. Watch the footage and see for yourself. If this is what can happen to an elected Member of Parliament, imagine the plight of the common man in West Bengal.
“This is the seventh attempt on my life in the last six months. Yet, there has been no police action and no judicial intervention. Hooligans are running riot across the state because the judiciary continues to turn a blind eye. Thank you, Milords, for remaining mute spectators,” Abhishek claimed in his social media statement.
He also attached a picture and a video of the clashes to his post.
