Kolkata, August 18: A group of protesters, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), confronted Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sougata Roy outside Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Tuesday.
The demonstrators surrounded Roy’s vehicle, waving black flags and displaying shoes in a show of dissent. They chanted slogans such as “Go back” and “Thief, thief.” Eventually, airport authorities and police intervened to escort Roy to safety.
On the same day, a meeting was held at the airport authority’s office, where Roy, a Lok Sabha member from the Dum Dum constituency, was summoned.
As Roy arrived, he was met by a crowd of protesters and BJP supporters who urged him to return home. Attempting to engage with the demonstrators, Roy rolled down his car window, but his efforts were in vain as the protesters refused to listen. After some time, authorities and police successfully extracted him from the situation.
This is not the first time Roy has faced backlash since the BJP came to power in the state. In late May, he encountered a similar protest in the Nimta area of North 24 Parganas, where he was pelted with eggs and labeled a “thief.”
Roy accused BJP workers of orchestrating that event. This latest protest at the airport echoed similar sentiments, with chants of “thief, thief” directed at him.
Commenting on the protest, BJP MLA Arijit Bakhshi stated, “TMC MP Sougata Roy has never stood with the local people. He is only seen organizing picnics. Even when the residents of Dum Dum were knee-deep in water, he was never seen standing with them. If he had any self-respect, he should resign. The common people of Dum Dum are frustrated with him. He has no connection with Dum Dum. He is a shameless TMC leader clinging to his position.”
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S.C.H.
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