Lok Sabha MP Mala Roy faces protests during Chhath Puja celebrations in Kolkata

Kolkata, Nov 15 (IANS) Lok Sabha MP and Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) leader Mala Roy faced protests during visit to a Chhath Puja event on Sunday.

A group of protesters surrounded Roy in Tollygunge area of Kolkata and shouted ‘Chor Chor’ (thief) slogans.

The NCPI leader, however, said that she will not exit the Chhath Puja event.

She also claimed that politics of intimidation is going on in the area.

Earlier this year, Kolkata Dakshin MP Mala Roy left the Trinamool Congress and the joined NCPI after the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.

The NCPI is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA alliance.

According to a section of the protesters, the preparations for Chhath Puja were going on peacefully. They alleged that Mala Roy went there and stopped it.

Chhath Puja was organised by creating an artificial water body in a field. As soon as she reached there, the protests intensified around the MP following which many started shouting ‘Chor Chor’ slogans.

The protesters claimed that they are old BJP workers of the area.

They alleged that Mala Roy used political influence to oppress them while she was formerly part of the Trinamool Congress and that is the reason for their protest.

Mala Roy meanwhile denied all the allegations. She was a Councillor of Ward number-88 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for a long time.

She visits field number 17 of the ward every year to inspect Chhath Puja.

The MP said that everyone can come to the government field. She has also come to inspect the management of the puja.

She also said that no complaint has been filed against her at any police station.

According to Mala Roy, “I don’t know why the protests are being held. The administration or the KMC also don’t know anything. But I have never done politics of injustice and oppression. The people of the area know that. This field was being captured. We saved it from this. Now there is an attempt to disturb the area.”

The NCPI leader did not want to name any specific political party for Sunday’s protest.

According to Roy, “They have considered the field as ancestral property. It is a government field. Everyone can come here. Who is a thief and who is a saint, the Chief Minister (Suvendu Adhikari) keeps all the information. There has never been such unrest in this area before. This has started since May 4 (when Assembly election results were declared).”

When asked about the protesters’ complaints, the NCPI leader countered by asking whether any complaint had been filed against her at any of the police station, adding: “There are no complaints against me from any political party.”

–IANS

sch/khz