The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and others after a purported ‘sting operation video’ aired by a local news channel claimed that the rape accusations in Sandeshkhali were fabricated.
On Saturday, a video from the alleged sting operation was aired by a local television channel, showing a person identified as BJP Mandal (booth) president in Sandeshkhali Gangadhar Kayal, stating that women in Sandeshkhali who were not sexually assaulted were falsely portrayed as ‘rape’ victims at Suvendu’s directions.
Asserting that Suvendu ‘helped’ him get this done, the person in the video said that the former told him that the TMC’s strongmen in the area wouldn’t be arrested unless falsely implicated in a ‘rape case’. However, the video’s authenticity has not been independently verified by the news channel that aired it.
Earlier, the TMC organised a protest march in Sandeshkhali’s Trimohini area, alleging a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against women in the riverine island.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also issued a stern warning to the BJP not to insult the women of Bengal. She said that once a woman’s dignity is lost, it cannot be restored.
Shahjahan, the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali case, is currently in custody for his alleged involvement in an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team during a raid related to an alleged ration scam.
The women of Sandeshkhali had previously protested against the ruling TMC and Shahjahan, accusing him and his associates of land grabbing and sexual assault under duress. Several women on the island alleged gross misconduct and atrocities perpetrated by Shahjahan and his aides.