A clash broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. The TMC pinned blame on BJP Lok Sabha candidate Rekha Patra alleging that she led an "assault" against their workers. The Sandeshkhali area, located on the borders of the Sundarbans, had witnessed widespread protests in February following allegations of sexual abuse and land grabbing against now-arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters.
"THE VISUALS SHOW HOW @BJP4Bengal IS RATTLED BY THE SANDESHKHALI EXPOSÉ! See for yourself how the women, led by BJP's Rekha Patra and paid for by the BJP, mercilessly thrashed our worker. Why? To deflect attention from BJP's Sandeshkhali conspiracy! Why else would they take law & order into their own hands if they are not afraid?" a post by TMC read
Bengal Minister Shashi Panja held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the incident. "This is Modi's guarantee... all this is happening under his directives. Under PM Modi's directives, the BJP and its candidate attacked Trinamool Congress."
This comes as a new video has emerged from the Sandeshkhali region, claiming that over 70 women were allegedly paid Rs 2,000 each to participate in protests against local TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates, who were accused of sexual assault and land grabbing. In an earlier video that surfaced on May 4, Kayal claimed that the protests were orchestrated by Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari. Another video featured women who had filed rape complaints, alleging coercion by BJP leaders to sign blank papers and visit the police station.
Sandeshkhali: BJP's Rekha Patra Claims TMC Leader 'Abused, Beat Up' Women
In the latest clash incident Dilip Mallik, a Trinamool leader, attacked in the presence of local MLA Sukumar Mahato, ABP Ananda reported.
According to Rekha Patra, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Basirhat, the altercation stemmed from an alleged incident of abuse and assault by TMC leader Dilip Malik and his team. Patra stated told news agency ANI, "TMC goons went to the residence of the daughter of 'Andolankaari maa', Sagori Das. TMC goons picked her up and then also threatened her... Then they went to Jeliakhali and attacked the residence of our three members...When we came to the Police station. Dilip Malik came here with his team and then abused all the women here and beat them so we retaliated and hit them back."
Contrarily, TMC MLA Sukumar Mahato described the incident as initiated by the BJP.
Sukumar also pinned the blame on the BJP as he told ANI, "TMC was conducting a meeting regarding issues in the Khulna area. BJP came and started a fight, they thrashed our workers".
"We have been able to hold a meeting to talk about the dignity of Sandeshkhali women. Women are protesting against the way BJP conspired against them. You have also seen how Dilip Mallik was attacked today. This is unacceptable. In politics, one party should help the other in their meetings and rallies. Instead of that, Dilip Mallik and other workers were beaten up. Around three-four thousand people assembled for the meeting..." he further remarked.
"We will be winning and so BJP cannot digest that. We have said that if people of Sandeshkhali are wrong, if women from Sandeshkhali hit Dilip Mallik, we will be making them understand. They conspired and did all these and so the videos are getting viral. They made people sign on blank papers and scripted the rape incident. So people can understand that they have been wronged. BJP is trying to win the people of Sandeshkhali with Rs 2000. This is a dirty conspiracy for a political party like BJP," ANI quoted him as saying.