THAKURNAGAR (NORTH 24 PARGANAS): Matua hub
Thakurbari
remained on the edge Monday amid protests by two rival factions led by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur and
Union minister
Shantanu Thakur.
Mamata Bala alleged she was forced to spend Sunday night on the streets with her daughter after BJP LS candidate Shantanu and his supporters broke open late Matua matriarch Binapani Devi’s (Boroma) room.
Mamata Bala has an office-cum-residence adjacent to Boroma’s room.
Mamata Bala is Shantanu’s aunt. On Monday, the MP, who has lodged a police complaint against Shantanu and others, took her belongings out of her room in the presence of cops and left.
Later, Mamata Bala staged a sit-in demanding “immediate liberation” of Boroma’s room from “BJP hooligans”. “Me and my daughter were attacked and forced out of our home by Shantanu and his henchmen. Armed with weapons, they were intimidating hapless women and Matuas with central force jawans. They desecrated Boroma’s room. Despite being an RS MP, if me and my family aren’t secure, what will happen if BJP comes to office in Bengal?” the MP asked. TMC alleged that central forces “in uniform and boots” had entered and desecrated Boroma’s room.
Shantanu hit back. “TMC-backed goons had forcibly taken possession of Boroma’s room. They illegally stopped devotees from entering the room to pay homage to Boroma. We entered the room as we have legal rights on it,” he said.