Two women were stripped and assaulted by a group of women allegedly in West Bengal’s Malda district on July 19, the BJP claimed on Saturday, hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing law and order situation in the state. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) shot back saying that the women were beaten up by the locals as they were caught stealing.
The alleged incident took place at the Pakua Hat (weekly market) at Bamangola in Malda.
Video of the incident that has been widely shared on social media, including by BJP leaders, showed a group of women assaulting two women with slippers and tearing off their clothes. A civic police volunteer tried to save the women, but, she was too assaulted by the mob.
Horror continues in West Bengal: Amit Malviya
Sharing a video clip of the incident, Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell chief and the party’s co-observer for West Bengal, said, “The horror continues in West Bengal. Two tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in Pakua Hat area of Bamangola Police Station, Malda.”
“The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The women belonged to a socially marginalised community and had a frenzied mob baying for her blood… It had all the making of a tragedy that should have ‘broken’ Mamata Banerjee’s heart and she, instead of merely outraging, could have acted, since she is also the home minister of Bengal,” Malviya said in the Twitter post.
“But she chose to do nothing. Neither did she condemn the barbarity nor did she express pain and anguish because it would have exposed her own failing as a chief minister,” he added.
The video was also shared by West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, who wrote, “Another horrific incident with the Tribal women in WB. Two tribal women were stripped naked and beaten mercilessly in Malda. Like other heinous incidents, Didi is silent and not taking any action in her own rule. Why I.N.D.I.A. isn’t condemning this? (sic)”
Meanwhile, police said that the women had gone to sell their wares at the market, and the people suspected them of committing theft, reported PTI.
‘Women caught stealing’: TMC
The state Minister for Women and Child Health, Shashi Panja accused the BJP of politicising the issue and said that the police have registered a suo motu cognisance of the incident and filed a case.
“It was learnt that the women had come to the local market and were caught stealing from other women. Out of public outrage, the women were beaten up. This should not have happened. But sometimes, people resort to such things when this kind of incident takes place. The female civic volunteer tried to help the women. However, the group of women overpowered them. Later, the two women were rescued,” the senior TMC leader said.
“The BJP has no shame. Yesterday too they tried to create a false narrative over an incident in Howrah. Today they are again sharing false information. This incident (Malda) has no political connotation and is a local issue. They want to politicise each and every incident taking place in Bengal to divert people’s attention from the Manipur incident,” she added.
Referring to allegations by BJP about stripping of a woman Gram sabha candidate during the July 8 rural poll, she asked “How come the fact-finding team of BJP consisting of women MPs did not come across any such case? How come the central forces camping in the booths did not report anything? Police investigations too indicated no such incident took place.”
“We assert that Modi cannot escape facing queries by MPs in Parliament on the gruesome happenings in Manipur by using such tactics … Bengal is not like Manipur or any other BJP-ruled states. No bestial crimes against women are reported in our state, which is helmed by a woman (Mamata Banerjee). Still if there is report of any incident our police and investigating agencies take necessary action,” she added.
Malda SP Pradeep Kumar Yadav said that probe in the case is underway.