The witch-hunt against the Opposition leaders in West Bengal is continuing unabated following the outbreak of violence in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district.
The Mamata Banerjee-led-government had arrested BJP leader Vikas Singh, who happens to be the Convenor of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, on Saturday (10th February) in connection to the women’s protest against TMC goons.
After he was granted bail on Sunday (11th February) by the Basirhat Subdivisional Court, the West Bengal police arrested him again. “This is just outrageous. I hope that Judiciary will take note of the Police excesses. I condemn this unethical and illegal arrest,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said in a tweet.
Mamata Police shame on you.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) February 13, 2024
BJP Leader Vikash Singh who is the Convenor of the Basirhat Lok Sabha Constituency was arrested day before
yesterday on false and frivolous charges in the Sandeshkhali incident.
The Basirhat Subdivisional Court granted him bail yesterday.
The… pic.twitter.com/HncmJ0K2pm
Following the development, a scuffle broke out between the police and the BJP workers. In a video that has now surfaced on social media, the daughter of Vikas Singh was seen fainting after the police took away her father again.
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya tweeted, “There is no rule of law in Bengal. Only rule of the ruler. Mamata Banerjee is worse than a tinpot dictator.”
Mamata Banerjee is protecting Shahjahan Sheikh and his criminal syndicate. But is targeting BJP leaders, who have become voice of the oppressed women of Sandeshkhali…
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 12, 2024
BJP leader Vikas Singh, convener of Basirhat Lok Sabha, was arrested couple of days ago, for no reason. He got… pic.twitter.com/ON2S5xlbgu
Earlier, the Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government arrested a former CPI(M) MLA named Nirpada Sardar in connection to the case on Sunday (11th February).
The Communist party leader was taken from his residence in Tollygunge to the Babsdroni police station. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Basirhat police station in North 24 Parganas district.
Nirpada Sarkar was arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120 B, 147, 148, 149, 379, 427,435, and 436. The family of the CPIM MLA, who won from the Sandeshkhali constituency in 2011, said that the arrest of Nirapada Sardar was made without any prior notice.
Smriti Irani takes on Mamata Banerjee over Sandeshkhali violence
While speaking about the plight of sexual violence against women, Smriti Irani added, “In Sandeshkhali, some women narrated their ordeals to the media… They said TMC goons visited door to door to identify the most beautiful woman in every house…The husbands of identified women were told, that you might be the husband, but now you have no right on your wife. They would abduct women every night. They didn’t leave us till they were satisfied… These accusations have been made by women of Dalit, ST, fishermen and farmer community of the region.”
#WATCH | On Sandeshkhali violence, Union Minister Smriti Irani says, "Mamata Banerjee is known for the genocide of Hindus. She will now allow her men to pick young married Hindu women to be raped in the TMC office… Who is this man who has been charged by the women of… pic.twitter.com/CBzc0YsZ4S
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
Smriti Irani emphasised, “Mamata Banerjee is known for the genocide of Hindus. She will now allow her men to pick young married Hindu women to be raped in the TMC office… Who is this man who has been charged by the women of Sandeshkhali of the mass rape of Bengali Hindu women? Till now everybody has been wondering who is Sheikh Shahjahan. Now, the question Mamata Banerjee has to answer is – where is Sheikh Shahjahan?”
The Background of the Controversy
On 8th February this year, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets to protest against land grabbing, non-payment of wages and sexual violence committed by Trinamool Congress goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
The women attacked Shahjahan’s illicitly obtained properties and set fire to a poultry farm owned by Shiba Prasad Hazra. They also surrounded the Sandeshkali police station and demanded the immediate arrest of the trio. The agitation in the village lasted for 3 days.
During that time, the TMC goons retaliated and the police acted as mute spectators. In several cases, the cops themselves resorted to harassment of the women. It had come to light that the local residents were the subject of sexual violence by the TMC for a long time.
On Saturday (10th February), the local police imposed Section 144 in various areas in Sandeshkhali and also banned the use of the internet in 16 panchayats scattered over the two blocks of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II.
In a bid to pacify the angry villagers of Sandeshkhali, the TMC leadership suspended Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently arrested in the Sandeshkhali police station area.
On Monday (12th February), the West Bengal police informed that it has formed a 10-member team to probe the sexual violence against women in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
During a press conference, the cops informed that the team would be headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) rank female IPS officer. They further added that the investigation would commence from Tuesday (13th February) onwards.
Ironically, the same police force has been accused by women residents of Sandeshkhali of aiding Trinamool Congress goons.
