Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election a fresh controversy has erupted after Trinamool Congress released a video on social media, claiming that the Sandeshkhali incident was a “conspiracy” by the Bharatiya Janata Party to defame West Bengal ahead of the polls.
The video which was highlighted by the Trinamool leadership where a person whom the State’s ruling party who claimed to be a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, was heard saying that leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly “Suvendu Adhikari is behind the whole conspiracy”.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the election campaign highlighted the video and said that the conspiracy of the BJP has been exposed. “Never before in the history of India has a ruling party in Delhi tried to malign an entire State and its people. History will witness how Bengal will rise in rage against Delhi’s conspiratorial regime & ensure their bishorjon [relinquishment],” the Chief Minister said.
“Today, the curtains have been pulled back, revealing the BJP’s sinister plot to smear Bengal’s image with their fabricated tales on Sandeshkhali. In their pursuit of power, they’ve sold off the dignity of our mothers and sisters! Rest assured, Bangla-birodhi BJP’s treachery will be met with the full force of the people’s wrath,” Trinamool posted on X (formerly Twitter) from its official handle.
In the purported video, the BJP mandal president at Sandeshkhali Gangadhar Koyal is heard saying that the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was behind the whole conspiracy at Sandeshkhali.
The allegation of sexual assault at Sandeshkhali has been at the Centre of the campaign of political parties in the Opposition parties including the BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on several occasion raised the issue of Sandeshkhali violence and sexual assault on the women in the region and blamed the Trinamool for the region. Mr. Modi during his election campaign on Friday has raised the Sandeshkhali unrest and said that the Trinamool leadership was protecting the accused at Sandeshkhali since his name was “Sheikh Shahjahan”.
Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a press conference and said that the whole conspiracy was “to belittle Trinamool and to defame West Bengal.” The Trinamool leader went on to cite publications and headlines in the media and said that Bengal has been maligned and defamed.
Later in the day, Mr. Adhikari posted a video where Mr. Koyal said that his voice was tampered in the video using technology.
“It is an attempt to defame me and my party, mothers, and Sandeshkhali as well as Leader of Opposition. I will approach the CBI and will demand an investigation against Abhishek Banerjee and IPAC,” Mr. Koyal said in the video.
