In a fresh row over the Sandeshkhali incident, the Trinamool Congress on Saturday highlighted a purported video featuring a BJP leader who claimed that women had filed sexual harassment complaints at the behest of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. While Adhikari denied the allegations and called the video a “TMC conspiracy”, the BJP also highlighted a video of its own, in which the leader featured in the TMC clip alleged that his voice had been “tampered with”.
While Adhikari denied the allegations and called the video a “TMC conspiracy”, the BJP also released a video of its own, in which the leader featured in the TMC clip alleged that his voice had been “tampered with”.
Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district saw widespread protests in February as residents accused TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides of land grab and sexually harassing local women. Sheikh, who was on the run for 55 days after his supporters attacked an Enforcement Directorate (ED) out to search his Sandeshkhali home in connection with a ration scam, was arrested on February 29.
Accusing the BJP of orchestrating the Sandeshkhali episode, the purported video was posted on X by TMC councillor Arup Chakraborty. In it, a man, claimed to be BJP’s Sandeshkhali mandal president Gangadhar Kayl (Koyal) can be heard saying: “We got it done (complaints of sexual harassment in Sandeshkhali) as per instructions of Suvendu da (Suvendu Adhikari), he helped us. Suvendu da said if you don’t do this, then you won’t be able to get the strong people arrested and sustain yourself.”
“(We) asked to get these rape complaints made and I got it done… They (women in Sandeshkhali) did whatever we told them to do. We told them that your protest won’t be successful until they (Shahjahan Sheikh and Shibu Prasad Hazra) are arrested,” the man further claimed.
As the video went viral, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a press conference in Kolkata and accused the BJP of having “tarnished the image of Bengal”. He also demanded that the BJP’s central leadership apologise.
“This state has never seen such a shameless example before. According to these BJP leaders, for only Rs 2,000, BJP candidate Rekha Patra filed a complaint… If central BJP leaders do not tender an apology within 48 hours, it is to be believed that they endorse this work,” he said.
Patra, the BJP’s candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, was among the women who filed a sexual harassment complaint against local TMC leaders in Sandeshkhali.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee also attacked the BJP. At a rally in Ranaghat in Nadia district, she said, “I knew Sandeshkhali was orchestrated by the BJP and today it has been exposed.”
“You (BJP) made a good drama on Sandeshkhali. Now everything is leaked, such a big lie, such a big jumla. Sandeshkhali is a planned drama. The BJP planned the drama,” Mamata said.
When asked about the source of the alleged video, Abhishek said, “I don’t know who did this but whoever did this did a commendable job.” Earlier, he posted on X: “I am shocked beyond words to see the Sandeshkhali sting video. Every citizen must witness Bangla Birodhi BJP’s orchestrated attempt to defame and malign West Bengal for their petty political ends. This abhorrent act epitomises the grossest abuse of power in history.”
In the video uploaded by the X handle of BJP’s Bengal unit later in the day, Koyal can be heard saying: “I am Gangadhar Koyal and I am mandal president of Sandeshkhali-2. The viral video targeting me is part of a conspiracy and collusion. My words have been tampered. (A) high-tech method has been used to tamper with my voice. Me, my party and the women of Sandeshkhali have been targeted to tarnish their image and also the image of LoP Suvendu Adhikari. This was their conspiracy. I demand a CBI inquiry into this.”
Reposting this video, Adhikari wrote on X: “The truth can be twisted and a misleading version can be circulated. However its shelf life is very very short. Ultimately, truth prevails. Next time, keep it in mind.”
Patra called the TMC video a “conspiracy”. “Gangadhar Koyal cannot say this. I think he was threatened by TMC,” she said.
The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) criticised both TMC and BJP.
Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury said, “Why are you (Mamata Banerjee) relying on a sting operation? Why didn’t you go to Sandeshkhali and talk to the people and women of Sandeshkhali? We will ask the court if this is true? Why did the court spontaneously take the case and order a CBI inquiry?”
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said, “Where you find any injustice, you will find either TMC or the BJP or both TMC and BJP.”