May 12th 2024.
Over the weekend, the Trinamool Congress took action by filing a complaint with the Election Commission against Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. The complaint accuses her of being a major conspirator in the recent incidents in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse have been made against leaders of the ruling party in West Bengal.
In their letter to the Election Commission, the TMC stated that they were also filing a complaint against a BJP leader for committing serious offences such as forgery, cheating, fraud, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy against innocent women in Sandeshkhali and the entire electorate. They expressed their deep concern and urged the EC to intervene immediately in this distressing situation.
The TMC's complaint was prompted by an interview of a woman from Sandeshkhali that was shared on a platform on May 10th. In the interview, the woman alleged that Rekha Sharma, along with BJP members and leaders, including Piyali Das, a BJP member from Sandeshkhali, had coerced them into signing blank papers for filing false rape complaints for political gain. The TMC also shared purported videos of another woman claiming that she was deceived into signing blank papers and that the rape complaints were false.
However, the authenticity of these videos could not be independently verified by PTI. The TMC also accused Sharma and BJP leaders of being involved in a deep-rooted conspiracy to coerce innocent and uneducated women into making false allegations of sexual atrocities for their own gain. They requested the EC to take strict action against Sharma, Das, and other unknown BJP leaders.
Earlier, West Bengal minister and TMC spokesperson Shashi Panja had accused Rekha Sharma of acting with political bias in the Sandeshkhali case and encouraging false allegations against TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides. The National Commission for Women had also recommended President's rule in West Bengal over the alleged atrocities and violence in Sandeshkhali.
In another video that surfaced from Sandeshkhali, a local BJP leader claimed that over 70 women had received money for participating in protests against Sheikh and his aides accused of sexual assault and land grabbing. And in a recent 45-minute long video, a man resembling the Sandeshkhali mandal president Gangadhar Kayal was heard making similar claims.
However, PTI could not verify the authenticity of this latest video. The BJP, on the other hand, dismissed the TMC's allegations, calling the videos fabricated. They also threatened to take legal action against the TMC for using fake videos to change the narrative before the polls. A BJP state spokesperson stated that the TMC had no regard for the National Commission for Women or the women of Sandeshkhali. The BJP claimed that all the videos released were fake and doctored.
The Sandeshkhali area, situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, was in turmoil in February when protests erupted over allegations of sexual abuse and land grabbing against Sheikh and his supporters. The situation has only intensified with the recent videos surfacing, but the authenticity of these videos remains uncertain.
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