May 9th 2024.
In the city of Kolkata, the Trinamool Congress has accused the BJP of spreading false information about the recent incidents in Sandeshkhali. According to several newly-surfaced videos, a female leader of the BJP had allegedly made women sign on blank papers which were later filled with false complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders. This accusation came just three days after the TMC shared a video on social media claiming to have conducted a "sting operation" in Sandeshkhali. The video featured a local BJP leader, Gangadhar Koyal, who stated that the rape allegations were staged and were instigated by the state's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari.
In an attempt to reinforce their claims, the TMC released a fresh set of videos on Thursday featuring women residents of Sandeshkhali who claimed to have been manipulated by the BJP into filing false rape cases. The party also shared a video of BJP's Basirhat candidate, Rekha Patra, questioning the identity of the "victims" who were previously taken to Delhi by state BJP leaders to meet with President Draupadi Murmu and share their experiences. The TMC had also alleged that BJP leaders were threatening the women who wanted to withdraw their rape complaints. However, the authenticity of these videos could not be independently verified by PTI.
Speaking about these newly-released videos, Shashi Panja, a state minister and senior TMC leader, condemned the BJP for perpetuating a false narrative about the Sandeshkhali sexual assaults and threatening the victims who wanted to retract their complaints. She stated that while the women may have had some complaints about land grabbing, they never had any complaints about sexual offenses. This further proved that the BJP was spreading falsehoods. Panja also added that the party would not let this despicable act of fabrication and intimidation go unpunished.
On the other hand, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, dismissed the TMC's claims and alleged that the videos were fabricated by "bhaipo" (a reference to Abhishek Banerjee) and the party's private consultant, I-PAC, who had "distributed money" to get the job done. He also stated that they would be moving court against both and ensuring they are held accountable for spreading such malicious lies. Adhikari made these statements at a rally for Rekha Patra's nomination filing in Basirhat, where he claimed that people could see through the TMC's deceit and that Patra would gain a lead of 1.5 lakh votes from the Sandeshkhali region alone.
One of the latest videos featured a woman who claimed that they were deceived into signing blank papers and later discovered that rape complaints had been filed in their names. She called it a blatant lie and demanded that action be taken against the BJP leader who manipulated them. Another alleged Sandeshkhali resident echoed similar sentiments in a separate video, stating that they had become victims of a scheme orchestrated by BJP leader Piyali Das. A third woman also accused Piyali Das of tarnishing their reputation and causing them immense suffering. It was reported that Das had been summoned by the local police for questioning.
In the video featuring Rekha Patra, the BJP candidate was heard supporting another woman who alleged that the victims who had met the President were arbitrarily chosen by local BJP leaders. Patra questioned who these "oppressed women" were if they were not a part of the group that had gone to meet the President. She also demanded to know who had represented them in the meeting. Meanwhile, the TMC has approached the Election Commission, urging them to take action against the BJP leaders involved in the conspiracy, including Adhikari, for bribing the women of Sandeshkhali to file false complaints and attempting to influence central investigating agencies and other authorities. They have also demanded that the EC issue immediate orders for the detention and interrogation of Gangadhar Koyal, Shanti Dolui, and any other BJP members implicated in the recordings.
CPI Basirhat Lok Sabha candidate, Nirapada Sardar, stated that both the TMC and BJP were trying to mislead the people of Sandeshkhali by circulating videos to prove their points. However, he believed that the voters would reject both parties and vote for the Left. Sandeshkhali, a riverine region in North 24 Parganas district, made headlines earlier this year when a group of women protested against local TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates for sexually assaulting them and land grabbing.
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