Bengal: BJP suspends Sudeep Ram over Entally police station protest

Kolkata, Aug 29 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has temporarily suspended local leader Sudeep Ram for staging a protest by locking the main gate of the Entally police station in Kolkata, a party leader said on Saturday.

According to him, Ram was given a show‑cause notice yesterday and asked to provide a satisfactory explanation within seven days as to why he did so on the night of Independence Day. It was also mentioned that he would remain suspended until the top leadership issued further instructions.

After the change of government in the state, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari repeatedly said there would be no compromise on law and order and strict action would be taken if the force was attacked. Accordingly, the decision to suspend the leader was taken.

Sudeep has been suspended by the BJP’s disciplinary committee. The order was issued by BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya.

Party insiders said there is a long‑standing division between two groups of the BJP in the Entally Assembly constituency. On one side is Priyanka Tibrewal’s group, while on the other are brothers Dilip Ram and Sudeep Ram.

According to sources, Dilip and Sudeep’s group was planning to hold Durga Puja in ward number 54 of Padmapukur. Khuti puja in this regard was also held. However, Priyanka’s group allegedly stopped it, though they claimed residents had clashed with Dilip‑Sudeep’s group over the puja.

The dispute erupted during the Independence Day celebrations. It was alleged that a few people went on a rampage at a function organised by Dilip‑Sudeep’s camp and some were beaten up. In protest, members of the affected group surrounded the Entally police station and allegedly locked its gate.

Top police officers reached the station late at night and mediated to resolve the chaos. The Dilip‑Sudeep group claimed none of them locked the gate, alleging police personnel had done so themselves. However, police sources said an FIR was registered against Dilip and Sudeep at Entally police station.

Local rebel Trinamool Congress MLA Sandipan Saha was also implicated in the dispute between the two BJP groups in Entally. It was alleged that his close associates were fuelling the dispute by instigating one group. None of the leaders of the two groups wanted to comment publicly on this.

–IANS

sch/dan