Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata. File
A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a public meeting in Sandeshkhali and urged them to leave the past behind them, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday (December 31, 2024) visited the place and wondered how the people in the area would be able to forget about the past.
The BJP leader vowed to constitute an inquiry commission to probe into alleged atrocities by local Trinamool Congress leaders if the BJP comes to power in the 2026 Assembly polls.
Sandeshkhali, an island in the Sundarbans, had erupted in February 2024 when several women alleged that their lands were grabbed and they had to face sexual assaults by local Trinamool Congress leaders led by local party strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.
“Mamata Banerjee had conspired for the arrest of mothers and sisters at Sandeshkhali before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They were slapped with false charges and arrested for protesting against the atrocities by local TMC strongmen like Shahjahan Sheikh. You (Mamata Banerjee) will face action for abetting such oppression if the BJP comes to power,” Mr. Adhikari said at the public rally.
The BJP leader also hit back at the Trinamool Congress chairperson who had urged the women not to listen to “people with mischievous intent (dustu lok)”. “Who is dustu lok (people with mischievous intent). Mamata Banerjee is the biggest dustu lok in the State,” he said.
Speaking in Sandeshkhali on Monday, the Chief Minister had said that people of the island were mislead by offering money and asked its residents not to pay anyone to avail benefits of State-run schemes. During her maiden visit to Sandeshkhali after the protests had erupted in the island, Ms. Banerjee had on Monday inaugurated 66 projects across the State at a cost of ₹123 crore.
Speaking in Sandeshkhali on Tuesday, Mr. Adhikari claimed that the ruling Trinamool Congress had managed to win Basirhat Lok Sabha Seat, of which Sandeshkhali is an Assembly segment, “because of Muslim votes”.
“The BJP, however, was ahead in the Sandeshkhali Assembly segment here. The results of the next Assembly elections in Sandeshkhali will be in the BJP’s favour as Hindus have already consolidated. They witnessed persecution by the TMC and would vote collectively against the ruling party,” he alleged. The Trinamool Congress had won Basirhat seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by a margin of 3.3 lakh votes.
Published – December 31, 2024 11:03 pm IST