Kolkata, Apr 19 (PTI) BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday alleged that the West Bengal government has turned relief camps, where riot-hit people have taken shelter, into “detention” facilities as the administration is “not allowing” anyone from outside to meet the inmates and see their conditions.

Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, also accused the TMC government of showing an “inhuman” attitude to the violence-affected people.

In a post on X, the senior BJP leader claimed that people, especially women and children, left their homes in Dhulian and Shamserganj to protect their dignity and took shelter in the Parlalpur High School building and other nearby schools in the Baishnabnagar area across the Bhagirathi river.

“However, the government is showing its inhuman face and is not allowing the media and voluntary organisations to interact with the displaced people. They are being served poor-quality rice and cooked vegetables. The police are hoarding food donated by NGOs for the displaced in local godowns,” Adhiikari alleged.

He also claimed that NGOs, which have come forward to help the displaced, are “facing persecution with trumped-up cases framed against them”.

“Such behaviour towards those who had fled their homes is cruel, inhuman and against democratic principle,” the BJP MLA from Nandigram said.

He demanded “restoration of rights and dignity” for the displaced people.

Adhikari threatened to move to court “if such a violation of human rights” continues.

Former Congress MP from Baharampur, Adhir Chowdhury, alleged that no arrangement was being made by the state government to facilitate the affected families’ return to their homes.

He also claimed that the police are “not allowing” the media and relatives and friends of the displaced people to meet them in relief camps.

TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the opposition parties, like the BJP, are at work to destabilise the state and don’t want normalcy to return.

Around 400 people, mostly women and children, ran away from their homes in Dhulian, Shamserganj to Malda’s Baishnabnagar after a mob attacked their properties and assaulted them during protests against amendments to the Waqf Act on April 11-12.

Three people were killed and hundreds rendered homeless during the communal clashes, which occurred in Muslim-majority areas. PTI SUS BDC