Taking part in a padyatra titled, “Mahila der adhikaar, aamader angikaar (women’s rights are our commitment)”, on the eve of International Women’s Day in Kolkata, the chief minister met a group of women from Sandeshkhali and accused the BJP of spreading “fake (sandesh) messages”.
“BJP leaders are spreading canards about Sandeshkhali but are silent when atrocities on women are committed in the states ruled by their party… Do not believe them,” she said after a group of women from Sandeshkhali walked with her during the padyatra.
“The way a few incidents were shown is reprehensible. Some incidents may have happened and they have not reached us. But when we get to know something, we take action. I don’t hesitate to arrest TMC workers if they are at fault,” the chief minister said referring to the arrest of TMC strongman and his aides in Sandeshkhali where protests had erupted in early February over alleged land grabbing and sexual harassment of women.
Sheikh, who was on the run for 55 days, was arrested on February 29. He had been on the run after his supporters attacked Enforcement Directorate officers who had gone to search his house in Sandeshkhali on January 5 as part of their probe into the ration distribution case.
Without naming Prime Minister Modi, the TMC supremo said, “Yesterday, you came here and lectured us that atrocities on women are being committed here. I can challenge that women are safest in Bengal… Where was he when women were paraded naked in Manipur? Where was he when a woman was raped and her body forcibly cremated in Hathras? Have you forgotten Bilkis (Bano)?”
“In Uttar Pradesh, gruesome rapes are taking place. The BJP should be shameful that our daughters were raped and burnt in Manipur… West Bengal is the safest state in the country for women,” she added.
Claiming that the BJP was angry with the TMC as the party doesn’t allow divisive politics in West Bengal, the TMC chief said: “As we don’t allow their divisive politics here, Pinto Babu ka gussa aata hai (Pinto Babu is angry). I refer to the BJP as Pinto Babu. Why is Pinto Babu angry? They sent over 400 teams to West Bengal but none in Manipur where women were assaulted and stripped.”
A woman, who identified herself as Sabita Sardar from Sandeshkhali, also spoke from the podium and said that after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee intervened, all problems raised by them were resolved.
“We are now living in peace in Sandeshkhali. Soon after we raised the allegations, the chief minister and her administration took steps. They have already returned almost all our land. We are thankful to Mamata Banerjee,” Sabita said.
Later, TMC general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee in a tweet said that he met the women from Sandeshkhali after the padyatra and posted some photographs.
On Wednesday, the BJP in a statement had said that Prime Minister Modi met women victims from Sandeshkhali and heard them “patiently like a father figure”.
“TMC leaders unleashed a reign of terror on women in Bengal. The TMC has faith in its leaders but not in the mothers and sisters of Bengal. Women in the country are pained and angry after seeing what happened in Sandeshkhali. The ripples of the Sandeshkhali issue will be felt across the state,” the PM had said at a BJP rally in Barasat.