West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was hospitalised on Wednesday after he purportedly fainted following a scuffle with security personnel during a protest in North 24 Parganas district.

The incident took place when Majumdar was addressing reporters in Taki in North 24 Parganas district. He was surrounded by security personnel.

The live visuals from his Facebook account showed Majumdar climbing down the bonnet of the vehicle and walking away when he purportedly fainted and was laid on the ground.

He was then taken to the Basirhat sub-divisional hospital for treatment.

The car he was standing on had a police sticker pasted on its windscreen, the official said.

The Trinamool Congress, however, alleged that the incident was staged. “Sukanta Majumdar has shown excellent acting skills. Probably he is planning to join the movie industry,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said.

Earlier in the day, Majumdar alleged that the state police cordoned off the lodge where he put up in Taki to prevent him from heading towards Sandeshkhali, which has been witnessing protests since last week.

Local women in Sandeshkhali have been demanding the arrest of absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been on the run since the January 5 attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. They were attacked during a raid at Shahjahan’s residence in connection with an alleged public distribution system (PDS) scam.

The women claim that Sheikh and his “gang” sexually harass women in the area and have captured swathes of land by force.

On Tuesday, Majumdar was prevented from going to Sandeshkhali by the district administration and was put up at a guest house in Taki late in the night following a dharna in front of the Basirhat police district SP’s office.

Majumdar said he was scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali in the afternoon to meet the agitators. Sandeshkhali is around 35 km from Taki.

“After yesterday’s protests, I decided to stay at a lodge in Taki so that I could easily visit Sandeshkhali from here. But since this morning, police have blocked the entrance of the lodge and are not allowing me to move out,” Majumdar told PTI.

Majumdar claimed he was put under “house arrest” – a claim denied by the police.

A huge police contingent, equipped with riot gear, was seen deployed outside the lodge.

‘Mamata Banerjee a silent spectator’: BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Wednesday criticised the West Bengal government over allegations of sexual harassment by women in Sandeshkhali.

In a press conference, Bhatia said that in West Bengal the law of the “anarchy ruler Mamata Banerjee prevails”, reported ANI.

“West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is acting as a silent spectator. This is a matter of concern. This press conference highlights the lawlessness that prevails in West Bengal where it is clear to every citizen the rule of law does not prevail or exist, rather the law of the anarchy ruler Mamata Banerjee prevails,” he said, according to the news agency.

“When the perpetrator of the crime happens to be a TMC goon, the chief minister of the state doesn’t even care to uphold the dignity of the women of the state, especially Hindu women, being targeted by the goons of Sheikh Shahjahan, the absconder,” he added.

Meanwhile, responding to the criticism by the BJP, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the saffron party of trying to “vitiate the atmosphere”.

“The allegations are baseless. The BJP is trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the area. They want to disturb the law and order situation,” Ghosh said, according to PTI.