As the nation continues to outrage over the viral video from Manipur where two women from Kuki tribe were paraded naked and allegedly gang-raped, a similar incident has been reported from neighbouring West Bengal, where a female BJP gram sabha candidate of a political party claimed that she was ‘stripped naked’ and ‘paraded’ by Trinamool Congress workers on 8 July when Panchayat polls were held.
As per the complaint, the woman alleged that she was beaten up by about 40 Trinamool miscreants in Panchla area of Howrah district when the Panchayat polls in West Bengal were underway.
“I was hit on the chest and head with a stick and I was thrown out of the polling station,” the BJP worker said.
Names of several people including Trinamool candidate Himanta Roy, Noor Alam, Alfi SK, Ranbir Panja Sanju, Sukmal Panja were also mentioned in the FIR.
“While some of these men were hitting me Himanta Roy instigated Ali Sheikh and Sukamal Panja to tear my saree and inner dress. They further assaulted me and force undress me to naked and molested me in front of other people,” the FIR added.
The woman also alleged that TMC workers tore off her clothes, stripped her naked and paraded her in the entire village.
“They molested me in front of everyone and even touched me inappropriately,” she claimed.
BJP hits out at Mamata Banerjee
Bengal BJP’s co-incharge Amit Malviya attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the incident and asked her to take moral responsibility for “this depravity and step down immediately”.
Since Mamata Banerjee’s dead conscience has finally surfaced and she is, for a change, feeling ashamed, here is the complaint of Panchla victim, who was stripped naked inside a polling booth (on 8th Jul 2023), by TMC candidate and his henchmen… copy of the FIR, which names the… https://t.co/i0ZheSV42l pic.twitter.com/ivc8IgB3i9
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 21, 2023
"Since Mamata Banerjee’s dead conscience has finally surfaced and she is, for a change, feeling ashamed, here is the complaint of Panchla victim, who was stripped naked inside a polling booth (on 8th Jul 2023), by TMC candidate and his henchmen… copy of the FIR, which names the perpetrators. She should take moral responsibility for this depravity and step down. Immediately. Before your conscience goes back to grave, again…," Malviya said.
'Not less sad than Manipur incident'
"We condemn the Manipur incident, it is a sad incident but a woman BJP worker was paraded naked in South Panchla, is it less sad than the Manipur incident? The difference is that there is no video of this incident because Mamata Banerjee's police will now allow it to be recorded," West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said.
#WATCH | West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar says, "We condemn the Manipur incident, it is a sad incident but a woman BJP worker was paraded naked in South Panchla, is it less sad than the Manipur incident? The difference is that there is no video of this incident because… pic.twitter.com/Dgeots0UrM
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023
BJP MP Locket Chatterjee broke down on Friday during a press conference as she recounted an alleged incident of sexual assault by TMC workers of a BJP candidate.
#WATCH | BJP MP Locket Chatterjee breaks down as she recounts an alleged incident of sexual assault by TMC workers of a BJP candidate during Panchayat polls on 8th July in Howrah district of West Bengal pic.twitter.com/45VdDGqDXi
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023
With inputs from agencies