A day after the video of a man and a woman being beaten up by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader went viral and sent shock waves across the country, TMC MLA Hamidul Rahaman raised questions over the “character” of the woman who was mercilessly beaten up.
“The woman also did commit a mistake, leaving her husband and children. She became corrupt,” the Chopra MLA said.
In the video, a man is seen beating the woman and man with sticks, and several people are seen witnessing the torture meted out on a street in full public view. Locals have accused the couple of being in a relationship.
Though the MLA admitted that some excesses had been done, he insisted that the woman was a “bad influence” on society.
“The woman did not complain, her husband did not complain, nothing happened forcefully. The woman was doing something which society does not permit, and there was a local gathering, as it happens in villages. I am not saying that it was not wrong,” Mr. Rahaman said.
Meanwhile, Tajimul Islam, the local TMC leader arrested in this case, was produced before a court in Islampur, and sent to five days of police custody.
Islampur police took suo motu note of the case and arrested the accused on Sunday.
“Malicious efforts are being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation and lend political colour to a recent incident in Chopra PS (police station) under Islampur PD (police district), where one lady was publicly assaulted,” the police said on Monday. The police said that the victim had been provided security and the Inspector in-charge of the Chopra Police Station had been issued a show cause notice over the incident.
‘Unsafe for women’
The MLA’s remarks triggered a fresh controversy, with State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar saying Mr. Rahaman’s references to a “Muslim rashtra” and punishment under “certain rules” were “deeply concerning”.
“Is TMC declaring West Bengal a State where Sharia law will be applied?” Mr. Majumdar said in a post on social media platform X.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda also remarked on the developments and said that a horrific video had come to light from West Bengal in a reminder of brutalities that exist only in theocracies. “To make matters worse, the TMC cadre and MLAs are justifying the act. Be it Sandeshkhali, Uttar Dinajpur or many other places, Didi’s West Bengal is UNSAFE for women,” Mr. Nadda posted on X.
The TMC leadership said that the police had taken action in the case. TMC leader and State Minister Firhad Hakim said that the police had taken action, and incidents of atrocities against women were common in BJP-ruled States.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the incident. It observed the matter indicated the State authorities had not learnt any lessons from such incidents in the past nor of the concerns raised by the organisation.
It issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, West Bengal, calling for a detailed report on the matter within one week. It also decided to send its team for a spot enquiry, given the gravity of the matter.
‘Jungle raj’
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, in a strong reaction to the incident at Chopra, said that goons had taken over the State and “the situation is worse than a jungle raj”. “In the jungle, no animal kills the other for a thrill. This is the only place where people are killed for thrill,” Mr. Bose said.
The Governor said action would be taken against those in the government responsible for such incidents.