Tensions are simmering in West Bengal after several women in Sandeshkhali village last week accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongmen of sexual harassment. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the ruling party over the allegations of sexual exploitation and land grab against local TMC leaders.The police have imposed prohibitory orders in some parts of Sandeshkhali. A huge police contingent has been deployed in and around the area to stop the BJP and other Opposition leaders from entering the village. The Calcutta High Court has taken cognisance of claims of sexual assault on women.What is happening in Sandeshkhali? What has the Opposition alleged? What have the West Bengal government and police done since the incident came to light? Let’s understand.Related Articles BARC Ratings: News18 Bangla dominates with consistent growth in market share & reachUttarakhand man rapes, thrashes woman from Bengal in Delhi for 7 days, tortured by pouring ‘hot dal’ on herSandeshkhali sexual harassment claimsLocals, mostly women, in Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district, have been protesting since 8 February against the alleged atrocities by TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides, Uttam Sardar and Shibaparasd Hazra.The situation came to light after a video of a woman narrating the ordeal went viral. “The party [Trinamool] men would come and survey a home that has a beautiful wife, whose girl is young. Then they take the women to the party office. Nights after night, they would be kept there… till they were satisfied,” the woman accused in the video, as per Business Standard.Local women have accused Shahjahan and his aides of assaulting and exploiting them for years. They said they were summoned to resorts, party offices or school buildings under the pretext of late-night meetings.Women told Indian Express that they had been quiet till now due to the fear of Shahjahan who has considerable influence in the area. The TMC leader has been on the run since the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided his home last month in an alleged ration scam.A woman in her 20s, who also allegedly faced molestation, told the English daily that the victims were “TMC supporters” and members of self-help groups (SHG) that run under the panchayat.Speaking to Indian Express, another woman said, “They used to call us for meetings – sometimes of the SHG and sometimes of the party. Our husbands were not called. When we went there, there was a quick ‘party meeting’ saying we will have to work for its victory. Some of us cooked and a section of women, including me, were told to stay back. They would pull my saree and touch me inappropriately. I kept quiet because I knew what would have happened if I protested.”She claimed her family’s bigha of land was also grabbed by TMC leaders and converted into a fishery.As the protests broke out last week, villagers carrying sticks and bamboo set Uttam Sardar’s poultry farm on fire. The properties of the other accused, Hazra, were also set ablaze. The demonstrations continued for the seventh day in a row on Wednesday with a large number of women taking to the streets, demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.The West Bengal police said on Wednesday it imposed a curfew in 19 pockets of seven villages of Sandeshkhali block-II from Tuesday night till 19 February. This came a day after the Calcutta High Court quashed the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) across Sandeshkhali, saying such orders should be only implemented in areas identified as “troubled zone”.Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) accused the local cops in the village of “threatening” the victims and “deterring” them from reporting cases.BJP hits out at West Bengal governmentThe BJP has lambasted the ruling TMC over the allegations of sexual harassment.Suvendu Adhikari, BJP’s Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, wrote on X on 11 February, “Sheikh Shahjahan and his gang established a ‘reign of terror’ where the dignity and modesty of women from the SC and ST communities have been repeatedly violated”.On 13 February, BJP workers, led by the party’s West Bengal chief, Sukanta Majumdar, clashed with the police outside the office of the local Superintendent of Police in North 24 Parganas’ Basirhat after not being allowed to hold a protest against the alleged sexual harassment. The police claimed the protesters pelted stones at them and several cops were injured, NDTV reported.The police lathi-charged the protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse them. BJP’s Majumdar claimed the police used batons first.The BJP has demanded a statement from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sandeshkhali. BJP leader Adhikari has plans to visit the area today.BJP president JP Nadda has also formed a six-member committee of party MPs who will visit Sandeshkhali on Friday.Earlier on Monday, Union minister Smriti Irani attacked the West Bengal CM, claiming that 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 Sheikh Shahjahan is. Now, the question Mamata Banerjee has to answer is — where is Sheikh Shahjahan?,” ANI quoted the Union Minister for Women & Child Development as saying.BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia said West Bengal has turned into a state run by a government of “rapists”.“Bengal has turned into a state run by a government of rapists, by rapists, for rapists”.“Questions will be asked from [Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee: Why do you hate Hindus, tribals, and backward people? Your goons are exploiting people, and you are silent,” he reportedly said.What have authorities said?A special ten-member team of women cops led by IPS Soma Das Mitra visited the Sandeshkhali village on Tuesday. However, no woman reportedly opened up about alleged sexual harassment before the police.“We assured full safety and security to all of them, but still not a single woman complained about sexual harassment. We have assured them full privacy to lodge complaints without any fear, but still, we couldn’t find a single complaint about sexual harassment,” police sources told India Today.The sources said their priority is to “build confidence” among the villagers so women can come up to them and file complaints.“We have formed a special team led by DIG CID (Soma Das Mitra) to speak to the women and investigate any complaints in connection with rape, sexual assault or molestation. The team will investigate if there are such complaints and take appropriate action,” Sumit Kumar, DIG, Barasat Range, said, as per the Indian Express report.A molestation case has been filed against Uttam Sardar and others. The TMC suspended Sardar, the party’s North 24 Parganas zilla parishad member, on 12 February following his arrest, the report added.On Wednesday night, the West Bengal police denied reports of allegations of rape of women in the violence-hit village. “It is reiterated that no allegations about rape of women have so far been received during the enquiries since conducted by the State Women’s Commission, an all-women 10-member fact-finding team led by DIG CID, and also the district police. The representatives of the National Women’s Commission, following a recent visit to Sandeshkhali, have also corroborated this, saying that they did not receive any complaints of rape of local women during their enquiry. It is reiterated that all allegations and complaints received will be duly enquired into and lawful action will be initiated,” the police tweeted on X.Meanwhile, the ruling TMC has accused the BJP of trying to “vitiate the atmosphere” of West Bengal.“BJP leaders displayed their true colours by pelting stones at the police at the behest of Union Minister Smriti Irani, who spread misinformation and dished out provocative and divisive comments on Sandeshkhali,” the ruling party said, as per NDTV.West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also targeted Irani over her remarks. “Rape has no religion. Crimes against women have no religion. Union Minister Smriti Irani held a press conference on Sandeshkhali with the sole intention of polarising the masses and pitting communities against each other. Do you want to ignite a communal riot in Bengal,” the TMC leader said.Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda said CM Banerjee has assured culprits will be punished.Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who visited Sandeshkhali on Monday and spoke to the protesters, said in a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs that law enforcers were in collusion with “rowdy elements”, PTI reported citing Raj Bhavan sources.“I have taken stock of the matter through direct interaction with the victims and by making extensive field visits in Sandeshkhali island. In my considered opinion, the situation there is highly reprehensible,” he said in the report.The governor also accused the police of asking locals to make compromises instead of filing complaints against the culprits while “goonda elements disguised as policemen trespass into the victims’ houses at night”.Bose said the local people want a Special Task Force or Special Investigation Team to probe the allegations.With inputs from agencies
Originally posted here –
Did TMC men sexually harass women at late-night meets in Bengal’s Sandeshkhali?
