Another Congress leader has been arrested in West Bengal, hours after the party’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan was taken into custody in connection with cases linked to the 2007 Nandigram land movement.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Subhasish Bhattacharya was also arrested, according to a senior Congress leader. The party leader claimed that Bhattacharya was detained for allegedly preventing police from apprehending Pradhan.
Milan Pradhan Arrested In Nandigram Cases
Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll, was arrested on Friday in connection with cases related to the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in the area.
According to PTI, Pradhan has been named in more than 12
cases related to the Nandigram land movement. He was picked up from a hotel in Chandipur in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district.
The arrest comes ahead of the Nandigram bypoll, where Pradhan is contesting on a Congress ticket.
Congress Leader Bhattacharya Also Held
Bhattacharya was arrested after Pradhan was taken into custody, the senior Congress leader said.
The Congress leader alleged that Bhattacharya was arrested for preventing police from apprehending Pradhan. This claim has been attributed to the party and has not been presented as an independently established reason for Bhattacharya’s arrest.
Arrests Follow TMC Support For Pradhan
The arrests came shortly after former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the Trinamool Congress would support Pradhan in the Nandigram bypoll.
The TMC had decided to back Pradhan after its own candidate withdrew from the contest, bringing the Congress candidate into focus ahead of the October 6 poll.
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