Hours after the video of a Trinamool Congress leader Tajmul Haque alias JCB publicly flogging a woman in Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal went viral, Trinamool Congress MLA Hamidul Rehman justified Tajmul beating the woman, who cries in pain. The video shows a large crowd watching Tajmul hitting the woman and a man with the stick. The attack followed a decision by a kangaroo court.
“In our Muslim rashtra, there are certain rules of conduct and punishment. But it became a little extreme this time. That is why we are now reprimanding the villagers,” the MLA said. He added that it was a “village matter” and had nothing to do with the party. We condemn the incident. But the woman also did wrong. She left her husband, son, and daughter and became an evil beast. There is some code and justice according to Muslim rashtra.
However, we do agree that what happened was a bit extreme. Now, legal action will be taken in this case,” the Trinamool MLA told reporters.
The MLA’s words set off a fierce political row in Bengal and in New Delhi, even as another viral video emerged of similar atrocities on a couple by Tajmul recorded on June 16.
Bharatiya Janata Party State President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the video signals the Trinamool’s trajectory towards establishing what he termed a governance model akin to ‘sharia law’ in West Bengal.
Referring to the incident as ‘concerning’, Majumdar in a post on ‘X’ wrote, “Statements from TMC’s Hamidul Rahaman referring to a ‘Muslim Rashtra’ and discussing punishments under ‘certain rules’ are deeply concerning. Is TMC declaring West Bengal a state where Sharia law will be applied?”
BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya shared the video on ‘X’ and said, “This is the ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal. The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly… is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman.”
“Is this an official admission by Mamata Banerjee Govt that West Bengal is now officially a Muslim Rashtra and Sharia, not the Constitution of India, will apply? Chopra is a Muslim majority area and keeps voting for the TMC. Mamata Banerjee must speak up as she is under oath to defend the Constitution. We can’t allow Sharia to replace it,” he said.
“There is a Sandeshkhali in every village of West Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a “curse for women”. “There is no semblance of law and order in Bengal. Will Mamata Banerjee act against this monster or defend him like she stood up for Sheikh Shahjahan?” Amit Malviya said.
The aftershocks of the flogging and its defence by the local MLA reached Delhi as well. BJP president JP Nadda also lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led Government over the incident and said that to make matters worse, TMC cadre and MLAs are justifying the act. “Be it Sandeshkhali, Uttar Dinajpur or many other places, Didi’s West Bengal is UNSAFE for women,” he wrote on X.
BJP leader and spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said: “It won’t be wrong to say ‘Jungle-raj kaisa hota hai? Mamataraj jaisa hota hai…Mamata Banerjee is worried about the protection of TMC goons. Tajmul aka JCB is shredding the Constitution to pieces. TMC MLA Hamidul Rehman said to a journalist that some laws in Muslim countries are like this. Is Hamidul Rehman taking forward your (Mamata Banerjee) mentality? ”
The West Bengal Police on Sunday registered a case over the incident and arrested the accused. In a disturbing development, the West Bengal police were forced to shift Tajmul Haque from Chopra to Islampur for fear of attack on the police station, Jobi Thomas, SP, Islampur police district told newspersons.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut expressed her anger on the I.N.D.I. Alliance over the violence in West Bengal. She said Sharia law is being imposed arbitrarily in Bengal.