Mamata Banerjee. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Under attack from the Opposition parties over allegations of torture and sexual assault of women at Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of fomenting trouble at Sandeshkhali, and said that Sheikh Shahjahan was targeted by the agencies.
“I was the one who took the initiative to send the women’s commission [at Sandeshkhali]. 17 persons have been arrested,” the Chief Minister said addressing while participating in a debate in the State Assembly.
The Trinamool Congress chairperson said that the first target at Sandeshkhali was Sheikh Shahjahan (local Trinamool Congress leader) after whom the Enforcement Directorate (ED) went looking for and later outsiders entered the place and created a divide between Adivasis and minorities. The Chief Minister, who so far maintained a silence over the developments said that Sandeshkhali has been a “vulnerable riot area”, and that the BJP has been trying to foment trouble in the area.
“It is not new. The RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] has a base there. Riots took place there 7-8 years back. It is one of the most vulnerable riot spots,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee said that a ‘women team’ of West Bengal police is going door to door and speaking to the people and registering complaints and the government will take action. “We have to know what the allegations are first,” she said.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal police through a series of tweets over the past few days have maintained that “no allegations about rape of women have so far been received”.
“Wilful misinformation is being spread by a section of the media to mislead the people about the events in Sandeshkhali. It is reiterated that no allegations about rape of women have so far been received,” the police had tweeted on Wednesday.
According to the police during the enquiries since conducted by the State Women’s Commission, an all-women 10-member fact-finding team led by DIG CID, and also the district police have revealed similar results. There has been no reports of any fresh violence at Sandeshkhali and prohibitory orders remain clamped in certain areas of the region. Almost a month after attack on ED officials during a raid at his residence Sheikh Shahjahan remains absconding.
The Chief Minister’s response came a day after Governor made a report public before the people of the State demanding help arrest of local Trinamool Congress leaders at Sandeshkhali against whom allegations of atrocities have been raised by locals including women. The Governor has also suggested a judicial inquiry into the matter as well as providing ex-gratia to the victims.
Meanwhile, the suspended MLAs of BJP including Suvendu Adhikari in the premises of State Assembly on Sandeshkhali issue. On Thursday, Suvendu Adhikari once again made attempts to visit Sandeshkhali but was stopped by the police. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was hospitalised on Wednesday after a scuffle with the police on the way to Sandeshkhali. Mr. Adhikari said that the Chief Minister has no right to make comments on the RSS which is the largest voluntary organisation dedicated to service of the nation.