Mr Prasad also questioned the “silence” of the Indian faction on the issue.
New Delhi:
The BJP on Wednesday claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led government has left the previous CPM government behind in atrocities against the people of West Bengal and the people will give a befitting reply to the ruling Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.
Raising the issue of alleged sexual assault of women in Sadeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticized the Congress and other constituents of the opposition Bharat faction and questioned their silence on the matter. raised.
“The Sandeshkhali issue is becoming very serious. Attacks on women, abusive behaviour, sexual assault are a matter of shame for our society and democracy,” Mr Prasad said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in the national capital.
The BJP leader also criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party leader Sheikh Shahjahan for defending such incidents and questioned the conscience of them and other opposition parties.
“When Mamata Banerjee struggled against the atrocities of the CPM (in the past) and sat on an indefinite agitation against it, we all became her fans and appreciated her struggle. Today, her atrocities, police repression, (then Has also gone ahead.” CPM (Rules),” he alleged.
Mr Prasad alleged that Ms Banerjee has given priority to saving her political credibility over the dignity of women in the state and despite being a woman Chief Minister, is using police power to suppress her, putting her dignity at stake.
He also criticized the Special Investigation Team formed by the Chief Minister to probe the allegations and alleged that it was repeatedly asking the victims the same questions and humiliating them to break their morale.
Under Ms Banerjee’s leadership, there is complete anarchy in West Bengal, with neither human sympathy nor respect for women, Mr Prasad alleged and reaffirmed the BJP’s support to the victims of alleged atrocities in the state.
“This is a matter of shame. Where is their conscience,” he asked, adding, “Mamata ji, you will have to answer. Mamata ji, you will have to pay the price for this. People will give you a political answer.”
The river Sandeshkhali area, bordering the Sunderbans, about 100 km from Kolkata, is seeing protests after local women accused Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is absconding, and his supporters of land-grabbing and sexual harassment. ,
Mr Prasad slammed top leaders of the Congress, AAP, Left and other components of the India Bloc for not speaking out on the Sandeshkhali issue and said their silence was evidence of their “sheer hypocrisy and complete double standards”.
He said, “There is no limit to how the opposition can garner votes. It is remarkable how they remained silent on triple talaq even though the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had introduced a bill to ban the practice. The silence continues even today.”
“When votes are at stake, the opposition ignores the dignity of women. Whether a woman is evicted from her home with the words ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’ or has to endure the humiliation in silence, these people try to ignore her plight. Let’s choose the option.” He added.
Mr Prasad also condemned the arrest of a news channel reporter by the West Bengal Police.
The BJP leader said, “An incident happened in Chandigarh. We respect the decision of the Supreme Court. It is a closed chapter. But everyone is giving speeches together on it. But when women were robbed of their dignity in Sandeshkhali, they all are silent.” Are.” , referring to the apex court’s verdict on the Chandigarh mayor election.
Mr Prasad said, ‘Yesterday (Tuesday) I heard about a CPM’eye (Women leader)’ went there. But the CPM has neither formally protested (the alleged incidents at Sandeshkhali) nor made any public comment on the issue. Rahul Gandhi, who speaks on every issue, is also silent.
He said, “They say that BJP is undemocratic, people are not safe under BJP. Today, women are not safe under Mamata Banerjee’s rule. They are being subjected to police repression. And Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Communists – they’re all silent.”
Asked whether the BJP would demand imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal amid the current situation, Mr Prasad said, “We are not like the Congress. We believe in the Constitution and follow it… Let’s see Public response to Lok Sabha elections. Many times, people’s votes and opinions are so influential,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
