alleged systemic sexual exploitation by Trinamool members in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. As the issue snowballed into a massive controversy, the Trinamool leadership didn't deny the allegations of sexual abuse at its party office. The Bengal BJP attacked Trinamool MP from the area, Nusrat Jahan, over her social media activity but silence on the issue.
BJP leaders rallied behind the women of Sandeshkhali and protested in West Bengal and the Calcutta High Court took suo motu cognizance of the issue and sought a report from the West Bengal government by February 20.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remained silent on the allegations of sexual exploitation against Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali. Mamta Banerjee said, "I sent our state women's commission team there. They have submitted a report to me. Police have already started arresting those accused of spreading violence there."
Sandeshkhali has seen protests by women after the allegations of sexual abuse against powerful Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.
"The party (Trinamool) men would come and survey a home that has a beautiful wife, whose girl is young. Then they take the women to the party office... Nights after night they would be kept there... till they are satisfied," alleged a woman in a video that has now gone viral.
BJP leaders have been protesting in West Bengal and Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, slammed the Mamata Banerjee government.
"Mamata Banerjee is known for the genocide of Hindus. She will now allow her men to pick young married Hindu women to be raped in the TMC office. The question Mamata Banerjee has to answer is - where is Sheikh Shahjahan?," Smriti Irani said on the reports of sexual violence in Sandeshkhali, on Monday (February 12).
Two Bengal ministers who spoke on the issue didn't refute the allegations levelled by the women of the area. Instead, they alleged that Smriti Irani was trying to "polarise people".
One of the ministers said that Mamata Banerjee had assured that the guilty would be punished.
"Rape has no religion. Crimes against women have no religion. Union Minister Smriti Irani held a press conference on Sandeshkhali with the sole intention of polarising the masses and pitting communities against each other. Do you want to ignite a communal riot in Bengal," asked Chandrima Bhattacharya, Trinamool leader and West Bengal minister.
Birbaha Hansda, another Bengal minister, too attacked Smriti Irani but didn't deny the