On Friday, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker named Bapan Ghosh was accused of trying to rape the wife of BJP Booth President in Kalna in East Burdwan district of West Bengal, reported ABP Ananda. The incident has now triggered a political slugfest between the two parties. The BJP has accused the TMC leader of attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman, whereas the TMC has dismissed the allegations and instead blamed BJP supporters of brutally thrashing accused Bapan Ghosh.
As per a report in ABP Ananda, the accused TMC worker went to the residence of the victim when her husband was not at home. Taking advantage of the situation, he began sexually harassing her. She was rescued by the locals, post which the accused was thrashed. The BJP has claimed that Bapan Ghosh too retaliated and resorted to violence.
The BJP has further alleged that TMC workers vandalised the house of the victim and other houses in the vicinity, at the behest of the TMC booth Vice-President. The accused is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. A police complaint has been filed by both parties at the Kalna police station.
BJP accuses TMC of vandalism, sexual assault; TMC rejects the claim
While speaking to ABP Ananda, a local BJP leader informed, “At around 9-9:30 pm at night on Friday, the TMC worker went to the house of our booth President. He then summoned his wife, post which she stepped out of the house on hearing the familiar voice. The TMC worker than began sexually assaulting her. The accused was then apprehended by locals. It is possible that he was thrashed by the locals (who caught him red-handed committing the heinous crime).”
He further stated, “Around the same time, The TMC Vice-President of the area called in several vehicles, carrying TMC workers. They then vandalised not only the house of the BJP booth President but also three other adjoining houses and creating mayhem on the streets.”
Dismissing the claims levelled against the TMC worker, the TMC booth Vice-President stated, “As a matter of fact, our worker Bapan Ghosh is fighting for his life at a hospital in Kalna.”
Political violence in West Bengal
Political violence is on the rise in West Bengal, ever since Mamata Banerjee and the ruling TMC came to power. Bolstered by political patronage, the goons have turned into a nightmare for the political opponents in the State. Recently, a BJP councillor Manish Shukla was shot dead at Purani Bazaar near Titagarh police station in Barrackpore area. The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department had arrested three people, namely Mohammed Khurram, Ghulab Shaikh and TMC ‘activist’ Subodh Jadhav.
Earlier, a BJP worker named Rabin Paul was lynched to death in the Pathar Ghata village in Kalna in West Bengal. He was first beaten mercilessly by about 50 TMC supporters and then taken to another place in the village where Paul was thrashed by the TMC Deputy Chief. The family alleged that the TMC workers stopped the victim’s daughter when she tried to offer him water. The TMC workers also threatened to thrash Paul’s daughter if she tried to help her father.
