Days after two incidents of Trinamool Congress activists beating hapless victims came to light in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released another spine-chilling video of a group assaulting a person with wickets and staffs.
A fresh video shared by BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar showed Jayant Singh, a strongman linked with the Trinamool Congress, and his aides holding a person by the legs and hands and beating the person mercilessly at a local club in North 24 Parganas district’s Kamarhati with wickets and staffs. The person had long hair, but it could not be confirmed if it was a male or a female.
Last week, Jayant Singh had assaulted a college student and his mother in Ariahada. This incident came to light barely after a couple of days of the Chopra incident, where Trinamool Congress strongman Tajmul Haque, also known as ‘JCB’, was seen beating up a couple on the roads of Chopra. The couple was suspected of having an extramarital affair. Singh, who surrendered four days after the incident, was identified through CCTV footage. Apart from Singh, the police arrested nine others linked to the case.
“Absolutely appalled by the emerging video from Taltala Club, Kamarhati, showing Jayanta Singh, a close associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, brutally attacking a girl. This heinous act under a government that claims to champion women’s rights is a disgrace to humanity,” Sukanta Majumder, Balurghat MP, posted on his X handle.
The West Bengal Police filed a criminal case against Jayanta Singh, considered close to local Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra, hours after the video went viral. According to police sources, the incident took place in March 2021.
Bengal’s Barrackpore Police took to X, writing, “BKP PC has taken note of an old video now in circulation on social media involving assault on a girl. A suo motu criminal case has been started. All legal actions against persons seen in video (2 among them are already in custody) are being taken.”
Amit Malviya, Bharatiya Janata Party’s co-observer for Bengal, also hit out at the “increasing crimes against women and complete collapse of constitutional framework”. “Flogging… in West Bengal’s Chopra was not an isolated instance of Mamata Banerjee’s men dispensing instant justice… Jayanta Singh, an associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, and his gang, routinely whip women in public. They recently lynched a woman and her daughter in Ariadaha, part of Kamarhati Municipality, Dum Dum. But this is the least of his crimes…” Malviya posted on X.
“Here is another horrific video (13 sec) of the same TMC men, brutalising a hapless girl in their ‘Insaf Sabha’, in Taltala Cub in Kamarhati Assembly.
This happened some six months ago in Dum Dum, which is not some remote area but part of the Greater Kolkata region. TMC men usually target women, who turn down their overtures… Perhaps Mamata Banerjee can explain why her confidant Madan Mitra’s men are assaulting women with such impunity… @NCWIndia @India_NHRC must take note of the lawlessness in Bengal, increasing crimes against women and complete collapse of constitutional framework,”’ Malviya
added.
“Why was Madan Mitra, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, given a ticket in 2021, if his men were assaulting women brazenly? Mamata Banerjee can’t remain silent anymore. Bengal needs to know why she has allowed these Kangaroo Courts to flourish across the State? She needs to explain why women are so unsafe in Bengal. From Sheikh Shahjahan to Tajemul Islam, from #Sandeshkhali to Chopra, it is the same story…”, he said in another post.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women condemned the incident and “urged a fair and time-bound investigation.”NCW, in their X post, said: “National Commission for Women has come across a video shared by Ms. Trupti Garg on ‘X’ showing a woman being brutally assaulted by men allegedly from TMC in West Bengal. The Commission strongly condemns this incident and urges a fair, time-bound investigation. The victim should receive free medical treatment. The strictest provisions must be invoked in the FIR, and all accused must be arrested promptly. A detailed action report has been asked by the Chairperson NCW from the DGP of the state within 3 days,” NCW added.
The BJP said that the flogging of Meherun Nesha in Chopra was not an isolated incident, alleging a pattern of instant justice dispensed by Mamata Banerjee’s men.
The aftershocks of the incident reached New Delhi as well.
The BJP’s national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawala, also took to X to criticise the Trinamool Congress and said that, “TMC means Talibani Mujhe Chahiye.”
Poonawala took a swipe at I.N.D.I.A. bloc and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for not responding to Sandeshkhali, Chopra and other similar incidents: “Will leader of hypocrisy Rahul Gandhi say a word or visit? What about INDI alliance netas? (Sandeshkhali – silent, Chopra – silent, Post poll rapes – silent, Mahua Moitra tweetsilent, Swati Maliwal – silent.) TMC leaders have themselves confirmed the video. their defence is that it’s a few weeks/months old! Is that even a defence? It means TMC as usual suppressed the video using threats,” he said.
Sagarika Ghose, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, posted on X: “The Bengal government is clear: ZERO tolerance on crimes. All those seen in videos committing criminal acts have been booked and will continue to be booked. Defeated @BJP4India can circulate as many old videos as it wants to defame Bengal and target @AITCofficial , @WBPolice will continue to act against ALL wrongdoers.”