BJP MPs enroute to Basirhat detained in Kolkata

A three-member BJP delegation of MPs headed for communal violence-hit Basirhat in West Bengal were detained by state police near Kolkata airport on Saturday, one of the members said.

BJP's New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi, a member of the team, told IANS on phone: "We were detained one km from the airport as we were heading towards Basirhat."

Besides Lekhi, the other members comprise Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Baghpat Satyapal Singh and Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Om Mathur.

The team was set up on Thursday by party President Amit Shah to visit Basirhat and look into incidents of communal violence in the state.

Lashing out at the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, Lekhi said: "There was no Section 144 imposed in the area, no papers were shown to us on why we were being detained when we hadn't committed any offence."

"Truth won't change whatever the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) says. A BJP worker who has been stabbed (in the communal violence) is hospitalised," Lekhi told reporters there.

As the police stopped the BJP delegation, Om Mathur engaged in a verbal spat with the policemen.

"Do you know who are we? We are MPs and if you stop us a privilege motion will be filed in Parliament and you will land in trouble," Mathur told the West Bengal Police.

The MPs were taken to Kolkata Airport Police station.

On Friday, a delegation of Left parties, Congress and BJP were not allowed to visit Basirhat.

--IANS

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