Kolkata, Sept. 22 -- Police arrested two more leaders of the Am Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) ahead of the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll, with the arrests adding to the tension surrounding the election. The arrested leaders have been identified as Sohel Mondal and Anisur Rahman. They are arrested on charges of misbehaving with the police.
The arrests come days after AJUP chief and Naoda MLA Humayun Kabir accused the police of targeting his party workers and alleged that the administration was trying to "loot" the election. Kabir has announced that he would not campaign in Rejinagar and has also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission alleging the illegal arrest of party workers.
Earlier, AJUP worker Haidar Sheikh was arrested following allegations of misbehaviour outside Shaktipur police station during a protest by Kabir. On Saturday, AJUP state secretary Ashiq Iqbal and another person were arrested with firearms and fake currency notes. Party leader Nasim Sheikh was also arrested over alleged controversial remarks directed at the police.
Kabir had earlier hit out at the police, challenging senior officers and alleging that they were acting in favour of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) has decided to withdraw from the Rejinagar bypoll, claiming that it was denied its preferred spade-and-pickaxe symbol due to rules. The party alleged that neither it nor its candidate received any prior warning from the Election Commission.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.