Weat Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh was on Tuesday arrested by Kolkata Police for holding a road blockade to demand land and other rights for the people of enclaves in Coochbehar district which were given to India by Bangladesh.
Ghosh, along with 26 others, was arrested during the agitation on Central Avenue. The road blockade which lasted for more than half an hour caused huge traffic snarls in the entire central Kolkata region.
“Ghosh and 26 others were arrested for blocking the road. Ghosh was later released,” an official of Kolkata Police said.
Ghosh along with party workers and leaders had organised a rally demanding land and other rights for people of Chitmahal. The rally started from Sealdah station to College square and was followed by a sit in at College Square- Central Avenue.
“It has been more than a year that enclaves were exchanged. But the enclave dwellers are yet to get their rights for land and job opportunities.The state government is sitting idle and doing nothing. Quick disposal of land records and settlements were promised. But these demands are yet to be met,” Ghosh said.
Later, when Ghosh blocked the road, he along with others was arrested.
Bangladesh and India have exchanged 162 adversely—held enclaves on August 1, 2015 at the stroke of midnight, ending one of the world’s most complex border disputes that had lingered since seven decades.
Altogether 111 Indian enclaves measuring 17,160 acres became Bangladesh territory and similarly, 51 Bangladesh enclaves measuring 7,110 acres became Indian territory.
All the Indian enclaves are located in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district. The 51 enclaves are spread across Dinhata, Mekliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Toofanganj Assembly constituencies. - PTI
