Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons are threatening the tormented women of Sandeshkhali to protect the accused Shahjahan Sheikh.
“The TMC has started a new game at Sandeshkhali. The sisters of Sandeshkhali are being threatened because the name of the accused is Sheikh Shahjahan. The TMC is doing everything to protect the culprits of Sandeshkhali,” the Prime Minister said.
The remarks by the Prime Minister come in the backdrop of multiple videos highlighted by the TMC where a local BJP leader is accused of making several women of Sandeshkhali sign on blank papers which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders.
Also read | Sandeshkhali women were ‘tortured on the basis of religion’: Amit Shah
Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual assault and land grab against certain leaders of the TMC had surfaced in March this year, has been on the boil over the past few days over certain videos surfacing on social media where local BJP leaders are heard saying that the allegations were part of a conspiracy. Sandeshkhali has become a major political issue for the BJP in West Bengal during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, whereas the TMC is trying to raise questions on the veracity of allegations against party leaders highlighting the videos.
The Prime Minister, who addressed four public meetings in West Bengal at Barrackpore, Howrah, Hooghly and Arambagh, alleged that under the TMC rule, Hindus have turned into “second-class” citizens. “The TMC has surrendered before vote-bank politics in Bengal, where you cannot take the name of Shri Ram and neither can celebrate Ram Navami. The Hindus have been turned into second-class citizens in Bengal under the TMC rule,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and added, “As long as Modi is there, no one can repeal the CAA law”.
‘Fewer seats than his age’
During his election speeches, Mr. Modi added that the Congress would get fewer seats than the age of its ‘shehzada’ in the Lok Sabha polls. Though Mr. Modi did not name Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the remarks were directed at him.
Last week, the Prime Minister had said that the seats of the Congress would hit an all-time low and the party would not be able to cross a half century.
Alleging that corruption was the common character of INDIA bloc parties, Mr. Modi accused the TMC of having made it a “full-time business”.
“Whether the Congress, Left or any other party of the INDIA bloc, all of them have made corruption their common character,” he said.
Targeting the TMC leadership over corruption, the Prime Minister referred to job scam and hordes of cash being recovered from the Ministers of State government. “TMC has made corruption a full-time business,” he said.
Mamata’s charge
Responding to the remarks made by the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Mr. Modi was peddling lies on Sandeshkhali and questioned why he was maintaining a silence on the allegations of molestation against Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. A woman employee of the Raj Bhavan has lodged a police complaint against the Governor accusing him of sexual harassment.
“The PM is still peddling lies about Sandeshkhali. He should be ashamed as the BJP’s conspiracy has now become public,” Ms. Banerjee said addressing a gathering in North 24 Parganas.
The TMC chairperson said: “Why did the Prime Minister not ask the Governor to resign during his overnight stay at Raj Bhavan?”
