With the name of a Trinamool MLA’s brother cropping up in connection with the Vedic Village row and land grab, party chief Mamata Banerjee has asked her cadres not to involve themselves in land-related matters without prior permission of the party.

This was decided at a meeting the Trinamool chief held on Friday. The party has been on the backfoot ever since the names of its MLA Arabul Islam and his brother Azizul alias Khude surfaced in the controversy a few days ago.

“From now on, party workers will have to take permission from the party brass before involving themselves in any land-related issue. Many leaders occasionally help private parties in land deals for reasons other than setting up industry. We have asked them to inform us in advance,” said a senior leader. According to party sources, Arabul Islam, who was part of the neighbourhood committee at Bhangor, had not informed the party that he was involved in procuring land for private parties in the area.

The party is still waiting for proof regarding the involvement of its MLA Arabul Islam before taking any action against him. Arabul has been reportedly asked to lie low. “There is a conspiracy against him. But if anybody in our party is found guilty, we know what to do,” said Partho Chatterjee, the Leader of the Opposition and a Trinamool MLA.

Meanwhile, the police are looking for Arabul’s brother Azizul, said to be involved in land grab and providing shelter to Gaffar Mollah, the alleged kingpin who helped private parties in the Rajarhat-Bhangor area forcibly taking over land from villagers. In a related development, the Trinamool has decided to lodge a complaint seeking removal of Sukumar Chatterjee, inspector-in-charge of Rajarhat police station who is leading the probe into the case, for alleged bias.

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