Speaking to mediapersons before leaving for Mumbai, the TMC chief said: “There is one Malviya who is known for creating controversies that go against the culture of Bengal. An old video of an incident that took place in 2021 was circulated recently to damage the electoral prospects of my party. This was done for the last 72 hours and the issue was shown non-stop by some television news channels.”
“Whenever there is something against the TMC, these channels get excited. If someone is guilty, action will be taken. Channels need to cross check before broadcasting news. They are forced to do so. Otherwise, the BJP will send the CBI, ED, and the Income Tax Department after them. I am requesting them to stop doing it. If this continues, then I will have to take legal action,” the chief minister said, adding the TV news channel “didn’t show how peacefully the Assembly by-election was held” in the state.
Banerjee was referring to a string of videos of atrocities allegedly committed by TMC strongman Jayant Singh and his aides inside a club in the Kamarhati-Ariadaha area of North 24 Parganas district.
Following the surfacing of three videos earlier this week, police have arrested seven persons, including Jayant Singh.
The cases have been registered under BNS sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). “Those who had committed the acts have been arrested and put in jail. Even today, in the Ranibandh area of Bankura district, attempts are being made to make a death go viral. I enquired about it, I learned that the incident was the fallout of a family dispute or personal enmity. There is nothing political regarding this. The police will take action as per law,” the chief minister added.
Echoing her, Chief Adviser to the Chief Minister, Alapan Bandopadhyay, said the government was concerned over the surfacing of a three-year-old video that “manipulated” the gender of the victim just ahead of the bypolls in the state.
Meanwhile, one more aide of TMC strongman Jayant Singh has been arrested in connection with a video of a teenager being sexually assaulted.