BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain criticized the Mamata-led TMC governance in West Bengal on Friday after women in Sandeshkhali accused fugitive TMC strongman Sheikh Shah Jahan and his henchmen of sexual harassment and other excesses, claiming that West Bengal had a ‘Jungle-raj’.
“There is no government in West Bengal. Whatever Mamata Banerjee says is correct. BJP workers are being assaulted. We will go to the court against this. The people will give a reply to this in the Lok Sabha elections. There is ‘Jungle-raj’ in West Bengal,” said BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain.
Earlier, a six-member BJP team led by BJP national president JP Nadda was blocked by state police from visiting Sandeshkhali. The BJP has subsequently launched an all-out onslaught on the West Bengal chief minister.
Party leader Amit Malviya has demanded that the Chief Minister allow the police to arrest TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who is accused of being behind the violence against women.
“More women come out and speak, against sexual exploitation by TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who CM Mamata Banerjee defended on the floor of the Assembly. Can it get worse than this? A woman CM allowing her leaders to use rape as a tool to subjugate and rule. If she has any shame, she should allow WB Police to arrest Shahjahan immediately. He won’t be able to evade law for long, anyway. You are as much a criminal, if you defend one” Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), urged the Mamata Banerjee administration on Friday to take “strict action against the perpetrators.”
“The ongoing tension and violence in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal due to the recent incident of harassment of women etc.. is a matter of great concern,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister posted on X.
“The state government should be impartial in this matter and take strict legal action against the culprits so that such incidents do not recur,” she added.
Faced with opposition outrage over the happenings in Sandeshkhali, CM Mamata Banerjee stated on Thursday that she has never tolerated ‘injustice’.
Mamata, who blamed the violence on the BJP-RSS, stated that she “needs to acquire full knowledge of the events” before deciding on her next steps.
Accusing the RSS of inciting violence in the area, the CM said, “The RSS has a base in the area. There were riots here 7-8 years ago. The area is vulnerable to riots. We managed to enforce law and order during Saraswati Puja. They (BJP-RSS) had planned to foment trouble.”