Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday alleged that hundreds of women were tortured by Trinamool Congress (TMC) “goons” “because of their religious background” at West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali.
Addressing a BJP rally ahead of the Lok Sabha election at Burdwan-Durgapur constituency in Bengal’s West Burdwan district, Shah said,
“TMC’s goons have tortured our sisters at Sandeshkhali on the basis of religion. (Chief minister) Mamata Banerjee did not want a probe but the (Calcutta) high court ordered an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).”
His statement comes days after the ruling party cited a viral video clip purportedly showing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker claiming that party leader Suvendu Adhikari had hatched the “Sandeshkhali conspiracy.”
In the spy cam video, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by HT, Gangadhar Kayal, BJP’s Sandeshkhali- 2 community block unit president, could be heard saying that some women were paid to lodge false complaints against local TMC leaders Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar, who are now in judicial custody.
Kayal wrote a letter to the CBI on Saturday demanding a probe and claiming that his voice was morphed. Adhikari said on Sunday that he will move court if CBI doesn’t initiate an investigation. The federal agency did not comment on this issue till Monday evening.
Shah made no mention of the sting video.
He said, “Shouldn’t Shahjahan be in jail? Mamata Didi, you are a woman and chief minister and yet hundreds of women were tortured right under your nose. You took no action to save your vote bank. Those who tortured our sisters will be thrown behind bars. They can’t be saved even if Mamata Didi hides them under the ground. They will be hung upside down and straightened up.”
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back at the BJP while addressing a rally at the Birbhum constituency in Birbhum district.
“Just see how they prepared a blueprint to win elections. They insulted the women at Sandeshkhali. This was their blueprint. They don’t know that the honour of our mothers is more valuable than money. They conspired without realising that everything gets exposed some day or the other,” Banerjee said, indirectly referring to the video.
Her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee attacked Shah for his silence on the video.
“We agree. Incidents like Sandeshkhali must stop! So, when are you sacking @SuvenduWB & Gangadhar Kayal for orchestrating the Sandeshkhali conspiracy? When are you apologising for defaming Bengal based on lies created by your party? Or, was the entire scheme designed as per your instructions? Beating around the bush won’t work this time. Bengal demands an apology,” Banerjee wrote on X.
Sandeshkhali had been on the boil since early-February over allegations of sexual offence and land grabbing raised by local people. Shahjahan, Hazra and Sardar were arrested by local police and handed over to CBI as ordered by the Calcutta high court. The TMC suspended the trio although they were elected zilla parishad members.
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