Banerjee raised the question while addressing a public meeting at Basirhat in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, his first since a large number of complaints of land grabbing and sexual harassment were raised against two former TMC leaders in Sandeshkhali.

Banerjee said the Opposition had politicised the Sandeshkhali incident to reap political dividends.

“Those who were raising the issue of atrocities against women (in Sandeshkhali) are not to be seen anymore. Such complaints were raised against Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra. Have they been taken into custody by the CBI?” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

“This is because the BJP’s real intention is not to ensure the safety and security of women. The BJP only intends to weaken the TMC’s organisational strength by misleading the people. That is why they send the CBI and the ED to everyone’s house. No matter how many times you send the central investigation agencies to our doors, the people will give them a befitting reply,” he added.

TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh was expelled from the party before he was arrested by police on February 19 after being on the run for 55 days following the January 5 attack on the ED officials who came to raid him in connection with a ration scam.

Following a Calcutta High Court order, the CBI took Sheikh into its custody. However, the CBI did not seek the custody of expelled TMC leaders Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra, who were arrested by the police over the harassment allegations levelled by the women in Sandeshkhali.

“Ever since Sheikh Shahjahan was taken into CBI custody, political leaders and media persons have stopped going to Sandeshkhali. Their intention was to force the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan. Now that I have raised the issue, the CBI might take both Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra into its custody. But I will appeal to the people not to get misled by the BJP,” he said.

Banerjee also said the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had taken action against the leaders after it received complaints against them. “The Sandeshkhali incident was politicised in view of the Lok Sabha polls… Sheikh Shahjahan was not arrested by the CBI. It was Mamata Banerjee’s police who arrested Shahjahan,” he said.

Banerjee also cited the arrest by the state police of Sudipta Sen in the Saradha chit fund case as well as the expulsion of ministers Partha Chatterjee and Jyoti Priya Mallick following their arrests in scam cases.

“Only the TMC took action against its leaders. Did the CPI(M) arrest its leaders during its 34-year rule in Bengal? Has the BJP taken action against Brij Bhushan Singh? Only Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has the guts to take action against its leaders and put them behind bars,” he said.

Reacting to his allegations, senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “The state police were forced to arrest Shahjahan Sheikh as there was too much pressure on the state government. He was being given protection by the police. Today, their crimes have come out in the open and that is why they are crying foul.”