Fri Dec 27 00:00:00 UTC 2024: **West Bengal CM to Visit Sandeshkhali After Land Grab Protests**
KOLKATA, Dec 27, 2024 – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Sandeshkhali island on December 30th, almost a year after protests erupted over allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault by local Trinamool Congress leaders. The visit, she announced, will coincide with a government event distributing benefits to approximately 20,000 people.
Ms. Banerjee’s visit follows months of demands from locals, who protested against the alleged actions of Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who remains in custody since his arrest in February 2024. The protests, which began in February 2024, significantly impacted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) highlighting the issue in its campaign. Despite the BJP fielding Rekha Patra, a key figure in the protests, from Basirhat, the Trinamool Congress retained the seat by a substantial margin.
In addition to the Sandeshkhali visit, Ms. Banerjee also announced plans to visit Gangasagar Island on January 6th to oversee preparations for the annual Makar Sankranti religious congregation. Further, she revealed that the new Jagannath Temple in Digha will be inaugurated on April 30th, 2025, and the Kalighat temple Sky Walk in Kolkata will open before the first week of February 2025.
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