On Saturday (24th February), West Bengal Minister Partha Bhowmick defended the Police and TMC government in the wake of explosive allegations of land grabbing, sexual exploitation, and systemic rape made by multiple women in Sandeshkhali. In an attempt to downplay the allegations, he claimed that during his visit to Sandeshkhali village, not even one woman made allegations of sexual assault. Pressing media to peddle the same, he said that it has been established today that the allegations of sexual assault by multiple women in Sandeshkhali are ‘fake’.
Notably, two Ministers in the West Bengal government Partha Bhowmick and Sujit Bose visited Sandeshkhali which has seen massive protests, particularly by women since 8th February. After interacting with the locals of Sandeshkhali, Bhowmick interacted with the media persons where he claimed that the reports of sexual assault were fake.
He, however, admitted that TMC leaders did grab land belonging to the government and citizens. Partha Bhowmick distanced the party from land encroachment, saying local leaders did it. He added that lands illegally grabbed by local TMC leaders from the locals would be given back to them.
He said, “We have interacted with the locals today… Lands will be given back to those from whom it was snatched. The DM has also set up camps in several districts… No woman has raised the issue of assault… This is fake and it has been established today… Those who are bad have no place in TMC… We will again visit here…”
#WATCH | After interacting with the locals of Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Minister Partha Bhowmick says, "We have interacted with the locals today… Lands will be given back to those from whom it was snatched. The DM has also set up camps in several districts… No woman has… pic.twitter.com/bhLsNJtpVR
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2024
According to Bhowmick, TMC follows a zero-tolerance policy for bad people in the party. Responding to the demands to expel Sheikh Shah Jahan from Trinamool Congress, Partha Bhowmick claimed that there is no place for bad people in the party and said, “We (TMC) are the party which didn’t take any time in removing a big leader like Partha Chatterjee. Why will the same party find it difficult to remove this small leader?”
Responding to a media query about the failure of West Bengal Police in arresting Sandeshkhali mastermind Sheikh Shahjahan, Bhowmick blamed the Enforcement Directorate for the same. The Minister said, “It’s not in our hands.”
Earlier, TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee had also downplayed the allegations of sexual exploitation by TMC local leaders and their henchman passing off the Sandeshkali unrest as a “minor incident”.
It is pertinent to note that after TMC’s local leader Sheikh Shahjahan went into hiding in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s crackdown on an alleged ration scam, multiple women came forward in his absence, alleging mass land grabbing and systematic or institutionalised rape of Hindu women by Shahjahan, along with his two accomplices, Uttam Sardar and Shibu Prasad Hazra, and their henchmen. While Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra were arrested earlier in this case, Shahjahan is still absconding.
Meanwhile, the real extent of criminal antecedents of TMC local leaders are coming to the fore as more than 700 complaints were against Sheikh Shahjahan and others registered at the Block Development Office in just 6 days.
