Women from Sandeshkhali in West Bengal were being forced to withdraw their complaints by the ruling Trinamool Congress, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Friday and asked the Election Commission of India (EC) to inquire into the matter.
The NCW noted in an official statement here that a few women have taken their complaints back regarding Sheikh Shahjahan, who, along with his aides, is among the key accused in cases of land grab and sexual harassment that surfaced following protests in the Sandeshkhali island of North 24 Parganas district earlier this year.
In light of these developments, the Chairperson of the NCW has sent a letter to the EC highlighting the “alarming situation wherein women in West Bengal are allegedly being threatened into retracting their cases and providing false statements and creating an atmosphere of fear for women in Sandeshkhali”.
It urged the poll body to take immediate and proactive measures to ensure that women in West Bengal are not subjected to undue pressure or influence that may compromise the sanctity of the electoral process.
“It has come to the notice of the Commission that the women of Sandeshkhali are being compelled to withdraw their complaints by TMC workers as they are the ruling party in West Bengal during General Elections, 2024,” the letter said.
“The TMC party workers are instilling fear among the women of Sandeshkhali to suppress the victims from coming forward with their complaints potentially impacting the fairness of the election process in the area,” the NCW said.
It requested the EC to direct the authorities to take appropriate measures.
Multiple purported videos of Sandeshkhali women shared by the Trinamool on Thursday had claimed that a local BJP leader made those women sign blank papers which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault.
