Malda: Police have arrested local BJP leader Buddhadeb Sarkar (44) on charges of attempting to rape a young tribal woman in an Adivasi-dominated village under the Bamangola police station of Malda district. The accused was produced before the Malda District Court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.
According to sources, the incident allegedly took place last Wednesday. The 24-year-old victim lodged a complaint at the local police station on Sunday, following which Sarkar was arrested. The woman alleged that she had gone to the accused’s rice mill to get paddy milled during the Badna Parab festival when he allegedly forced her inside the empty mill and attempted to rape her. She managed to escape and later claimed that the accused threatened her at her home.
The incident triggered political reactions. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Asish Kundu said: “This incident once again exposes the BJP’s true face of the slogan ‘ Beti Parao, Beti Bachaon’. A tribal woman has been targeted, and how unsafe women are when such people hold political influence.” BJP leader Amlan Bhaduri said: “The party does not support any criminal activity. If the allegations are proven true, strict action should be taken according to law.” Sarkar is an active BJP leader.