Sandeshkhali row: TMC to move ECI against NCW chief after sting video surfaces

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has launched a no-holds-barred attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ever since the sting video on Sandeshkhali surfaced on May 4, said on Friday that it would now move the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). 

“Earlier we had seen delegations of multiple commissions from the Centre visiting Sandeshkhali. Yesterday, a video surfaced in which a woman could be seen saying how the women’s commission almost forced the villagers to lodge complaints of rape. We have already moved the ECI against BJP leaders. Now we will move the ECI against Rekha Sharma, chairperson of NCW”, said Shashi Panja, state Women and Child Development and social welfare minister.   

The NCW chief visited the violence-hit areas of Sandeshkhali on February 19 and spoke with the village women. She had told reporters that she received 18 complaints out of which two were rape complaints. 

“The police and government were not registering the complaints. Only one woman has come out and registered her statement before a magistrate. We want more women to come forward,” she had told reporters.

On Friday, the NCW chairperson in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) urged to direct its concerned officials to take appropriate action against the TMC workers for threatening the women of Sandeshkhali to withdraw their complaints. 

Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district started hitting the headlines in February after villagers, mostly women, came out demanding the arrest of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides over allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing. Shahjahan was arrested on February 29 on the orders of the Calcutta high court. He was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Also Read: TMC’s sting video claims BJP paid Sandeshkhali women to frame leaders

“Sharma further incited the women and coerced them (to lodge false complaints). It was politically motivated and she had received political signals. The BJP orchestrated this and brought in all the commissions. We would also expose more people and more National commissions who were involved in this conspiracy and supported the BJP in this dirty game,” Panja said, adding that the BJP should apologise.     

The NCW chief could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. She also didn’t respond to messages.

On May 4, a purported sting video surfaced in which Gangadhar Koyal, a local BJP leader from Sandeshkhali was allegedly heard saying that there were no rapes and women were paid to lodge false complaints of sexual assault.

At least two women, who had earlier lodged complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders, have now expressed their willingness before the media to withdraw their complaints. However, police officials said that even if they withdraw the complaints, the case can be nullified by the court.

While one was heard in the sting video purportedly saying that she signed a document in a hurry without reading it, a fresh video surfaced on Wednesday in which a second woman was heard saying that her mother-in-law signed a blank document.

“A local woman BJP leader took my mother-in-law to the police station saying that the women’s commission has come. I wasn’t home at that time. Our main allegation was that we had not received money from the TMC leaders even after working. The BJP leader, however, asked her (my mother-in-law) to sign a black document and later we came to know that a complaint of sexual assault has been lodged against four persons,” the woman told reporters.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee hit out at the BJP saying they would get as low for a handful of votes.

“We heard about Godhra and Pulwama and how low the BJP can stoop for a handful of votes. Now we are seeing Sandeshkhali. The BJP sold the dignity of women and maligned the state for a few votes,” Abhishek Banerjee, TMC National general secretary, told media persons in Kolkata.

Apart from the NCW, other National Commissions also visited Sandeshkhali and came up with adverse reports and comments.

On February 15, the National Commission for Scheduled Caste visited the troubled areas. The delegation was led by the panel’s chairman Arun Halder.

Also Read: Sandeshkhali video heats up Bengal electoral battle

“There was an ambience of terror created by Shahjahan and his gang. Villagers were reluctant to speak out of fear. A few people spoke to us after being assured of help. They told us how TMC leaders called women, made them wait for long hours at night and did all the wrong things,” Halder told reporters, adding that it was a fit case for imposing President’s Rule.

An investigation team of the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) led by Vijaya Bharathi Sayani visited Sandeshkhali on February 23-25 and interacted with locals. In April, the NHRC said in its report that there have been several human rights violations in Sandeshkhali that included sexual exploitation.    

“When the protests were going on in Sandeshkhali my house was attacked. I was pressured to withdraw the complaint against Shahjahan. Had the police helped us since the beginning, the need for women villagers to hit the streets in protest wouldn’t have arisen. Police never stood beside the people of Snadeshkhali. Instead, they helped the TMC strongmen and leaders. The chief minister never stood beside the people of Sandeshkhali and instead attacked from rallies. We are still living in fear,” Rekha Patra, BJP’s Basirhat Lok Sabha candidate whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed as ‘Shakti Swarupa’, said in a video message.

“Sanedshkhali women were exploited on the basis of women by TMC men. Mamata Banerjee, being a woman chief minister, should feel ashamed. A CBI probe is going on. Mothers and sisters of West Bengal need not worry. The BJP will hang the culprits of Sandeshkhali and straighten them up,” said Amit Shah, Union home minister, while addressing a rally in Nadia on Friday.