BJP leaders in Bengal have accused the Mamata Banerjee government of preventing some of their MPs in north Bengal from reaching out to their electorate during the coronavirus crisis.

At least two MPs — Jayanta Roy of Jalpaiguri and John Barla of Alipurduar — have alleged that district administrations were not letting them step out of home and had also deployed police outside.

During a videoconference with national leaders like Arvind Menon, Shiv Prakash and Kailash Vijayvargiya, Bengal BJP office-bearers asked them to consider bringing in a privilege motion in Parliament against three senior officers of the state.

“Once Parliament reopens, we want a privilege motion to be brought against the chief secretary, home secretary and the director-general of police,” said a party insider.

After the videoconference, state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said: “How can two elected public representatives be prevented from distributing relief in their own constituencies?”

Barla said over phone that he was first stopped by the police from visiting a closed tea estate to distribute relief materials and forced to return home. “Since then, I am not being allowed to move out of my house and it is almost like house arrest. Policemen have been deployed outside my home. It is surprising that ministers and MLAs are moving freely but the MPs are being stopped. The administration and the police are acting in a biased manner.”

Roy, the Jalpaiguri MP, said: “After returning from Delhi I had stayed at home for 14 days. Then only I started going out to help people. I am a doctor and well understand my responsibilities. Even then, the police have virtually kept me in house arrest.”

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said: “The Bengal government has kept my colleague and MP from Alipurduar John Barla under a virtual house arrest. Nearly 40 policemen have been deployed to shut down all entry and exits from his residence. The state has failed to take care of tea garden workers, and if an elected peoples’ representative wants to reach out and help them, he is being prevented by the administration,” said Bista.

Meanwhile, the state leadership, while talking to the national leaders, also alleged that the state is fudging Covid-19 death figures.

“It has been also mentioned that paramilitary forces should be deployed for a stricter and better implementation of the lockdown, especially in districts like Malda and Murshidabad,” said a party insider.

Officials in the district administration said they are following government directives during the lockdown.

“We are keeping vigil on those who are violating the lockdown. All of us are adhering to government orders,” said Abhishek Kumar Tiwary, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri.