On Tuesday, March 26, PM Narendra Modi called up Rekha Patra, whom BJP has fielded from the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Rekha Patra, a native of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has been the face of the women’s protest movement against TMC’s strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar while being a victim to the atrocities in their hands.
Lauding Rekha Patra for braving the atrocities and acknowledging her strength and resilience, PM Modi referred to her as ‘Shakti Swaroopa’. He asked her about her campaign preparations and the support for the BJP among voters and other issues.
#LISTEN | The conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rekha Patra, a BJP candidate from Basirhat and one of the Sandeshkhali victims.
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2024
She says, "…The situation in Sandeshkhali has been a matter of concern since 2011. If we were allowed to vote freely then this… pic.twitter.com/Y4KB7k1OKE
In an audio clip, PM Modi asked Patra, “You are going to play a big responsibility. How do you feel?”
Patra replied by first thanking Modi for supporting her. “I feel very good. Your hands are on my head and over all women of Sandeshkhali,” Parta said, therefore she went on to narrate the ordeal of Sandeshkhali victims.
“A big tragedy happened with us. Not just women of Sandeshkhali, the women of entire Basirhat suffered. We demand action against the accused. We haven’t been able to vote since 2011 and we hope to vote this time,” she added.
Voicing his concerns about the suffering that Mamata’s West Bengal government has caused over time and the fact that the people of Bashirhat haven’t been allowed to vote since 2011, PM Modi assured her the Election Commission of India’s cooperation as well as appropriate security measures.
“Raising the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali is not a common thing. Your courage shows that the Nari Shakti in Bengal will bless us. I urge you to inform people about the works done by the Centre. The people are fed up by the TMC government in Bengal, which does not let the implementation of central schemes in the state,” the prime minister told Patra.
BJP fields Rekha Patra, woman who led protests against Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, as Basirhat candidate in LS polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 24, Sunday announced the names of 111 candidates in its fifth list for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including a woman who was a survivor of violence in the Sandeshkhali area of West Bengal.
BJP on Sunday released the list of 19 candidates for Bengal. BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat, who is a resident of Sandeshkhali. It was she who first raised the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali and all three accused expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar are behind bars.
Notably, Rekha Patra was the first woman in Sandeshkhali who had raised her voice and spearheaded the protests accusing Shahjahan and his aides of land grabbing and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali. Patra was also a part of the group that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public meeting in Barasat on March 6, where they discussed the challenges faced by women in Sandeshkhali with the Prime Minister.
