Early Thursday, West Bengal police picked up Sheikh Shahjahan from Minakhan – about 30 km from Sandeshkhali. Clad in a white shirt and a checked jacket the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader marched into Basirhat court and was sent to 10 days’ police custody after a brief hearing. As the images flashed on television screens, a section of Sandeshkhali celebrated with sweets and colours, ringing in an early Holi.
It could, well, have brought the curtains down on the nearly two-month protests by a section of the residents. But with the general election looming, the Sandeshkhali pot is expected to continue boiling.
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