West Bengal Hindu rights group head Tapan Ghosh of Hindu Samhati was left angry and hurt after one of his associates, Ayan Pattanayak, was allegedly thrashed and tortured by police.
In a statement, he demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee make a statement on his associate. He said:
I strongly demand from Chief Secretary of West Bengal and CM Mamata Banerjee to immediately issue statement about the condition of Ayan Pattanayak, now in ventilation in Kolkata Apollo hospital, who was brutally tortured in Nandigram police station by police on 18 March night.
Earlier he had updated on his associates’ condition and said that his condition is serious and that he was put on ventilation.
I demand from @chiefsecretary of WB & @MamataOfficial to issue statement about Ayan Pattanayak's condition, beaten up by police, now@ Apollo
— Tapan Ghosh (@hstapanghosh) March 21, 2017
Tapan Ghosh said that:
Seriously injured Hindu Samhati worker Ayan Pattanayak of Nandigram has been shifted to Apollo Hospital in Kolkata yesterday by the influential leader of Purba Medinipur district. Two chamchas are guarding the patient to save the inhuman police and that political leader of Nandigram.
Ayan was brutally tortured by police in Nandigram police station 18.3.17 night.
On March 19, Tapan Ghosh has informed that 7 Hindu Samhati workers including a 13-year old boy was arrested by Nandigram police. He said that after seeing Ayan’s condition the police released all seven of them.
Tapan Ghosh: A strong non-political challenger in West Bengal
He also said that dozens of incidents against Hindus are regularly taking place in the district for a long time.
Hindu Samhati enjoys good ground-level support in West Bengal and has been in the news for long. Such allegations may end up harming Mamata regime’s image if Ayan’s situation deteriorates.
