Union Minister Smriti Irani criticized the Mamata Banerjee government over the allegations of women in Sandeshkhali, South Bengal stating that “young Hindu married women” are being targetted by Trinamool Congress goons.
A woman has made allegations against a local Trinamool leader of systematic sexual exploitation.
The man in question, Zilla Parishad member Sheikh Shajahan is also accused of land grabbing and is on the run. He is also wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged PDS scam.
Notably, Sandeshkhali, an island in Sundarbans close to the Bangladesh border, has been placed under Prohibitory Orders banning gatherings at large scale.
“Young Hindu married women are being deliberately targetted,” Ms Irani said.
That Mamata Banerjee “will now allow her men to pick out young Hindu married women to be raped night after night in the TMC office cannot be articulated in mere words. Can we as citizens be mute spectators?’ she said.
A large number of women in Sandeshkhali, armed with sticks and brooms, have been holding protests over the last few days, alleging that Sheikh Shajahan and his “gang” have captured swathes of land by force, and are sexually exploiting them.
The women have demanded the arrest of Sheikh Shajahan, who has been on the run since a team of the Enforcement Directorate raided his house last month in connection with an alleged ration scam. The team was attacked by a mob.
‘The agency has given a police statement that three of the officials were injured in the stone-throwing that took place in Sandeshkhali’, Irani said.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and other MLAs of the party were stopped from visiting the area by the police today, who cited the prohibitory orders.
Governor CV Ananda Bose also visited Sandeshkhali. ‘I would do everything in my power to help’, he said.
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