Mamata accuses BJP-RSS of causing violence in Sandeshkhali, says all necessary actions taken

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, accused the BJP-RSS of orchestrating violence at Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas. She also demanded strong action against the BSF in connection with the death of four children at Chopra in North Dinajpur.

On Sandeshkhali, she said: “It has been revealed how BJP workers were brought and violence was instigated in an area. The primary target was (Trinamool Congress leader) Sheikh Shahjahan who is also being targeted by the ED (Enforcement Directorate) who entered the area in search of him. Following this, they ousted everyone from there and fabricated a fight between Adivasis and minorities. A women police team is visiting people at their doorsteps to listen to their grievances. We will definitely address the issues that will be reported. I need to know the matter to act on it,” Banerjee said at the state assembly.

She reiterated that she never supported injustice and had sent the state’s Women Commission there. “Seventeen people have been arrested. Some people clicked pictures with masked faces. They have been caught. Outsiders have orchestrated violence there,” Banerjee said delivering her speech on the West Bengal Finance Bill, 2024.

Banerjee further claimed that it was an open secret that RSS has a base at Sandeshkhali. “Riots took place there seven to eight years back. It has been identified as one of the vulnerable riot spots. We handled the situation strongly during Saraswati Puja when there were plans of creating disturbance,” she alleged.

On the tragic incident at Chopra where four children died during drainage work of the BSF, she said that the BSF did not seek permission from the local administration for digging the ditch. “I want all BSF personnel involved in the deaths to be punished. What is the Centre doing?” she questioned.

She further accused the BSF of distributing “goodies” in saffron-coloured bags among local people. “They are campaigning for the BJP. I was told that they dragged out an imam (cleric) from a mosque in Murshidabad. They are trying to create unrest in our state,” Banerjee said, showing a picture in support of her statement in the Assembly and also submitting the same to Speaker Biman Banerjee.

She questioned why the Centre is not sending a fact-finding team to Chopra. “About 334 central teams have come to our state in the last two years in the name of fact finding. Why is the central team not going to Chopra? Childrens’ lives are not important to them?” she questioned.

A TMC delegation visited Raj Bhavan on Thursday and handed over a deputation to the Governor who has agreed to visit Chopra and look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the party and the West Bengal Police accused BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya of spreading fake news that few women were forcibly taken away by the police in Sandeshkhali. The police informed that they will take legal action.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “If indeed the allegations of atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali were true and were continuing for long then why didn’t the CPI(M) and the BJP raise it before? “Trinamool’s organisation has always been weak at Sandeshkhali where the CPI(M) had a stronghold. Why then did the former CPI(M) MLA of Sandeshkhali, Nirapad Sardar not raise the issue before?” he questioned.

Ghosh also accused the BJP of political vendetta after the Enforcement Directorate sent a summon to his party MP Dipak Adhikari (Dev).