Less than 48 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Rekha Patra, the BJP’s Basirhat candidate and Sandeshkhali victim who was the first to protest the atrocities on women by Trinamool leaders, the ruling party in West Bengal targeted her and leaked her personal details online. The BJP struck back while Patra’s lawyer lodged an official complaint with the National Commission for Women.
While the Prime Minister had dubbed Rekha Patra “Shakti Swaroopa” (epitome of courage) for standing up to the atrocities, the Trinamool Congress called her a hypocrite for supporting the BJP while “enjoying the benefits of Mamata Banerjee’s schemes”.
The Trinamool Congress posted on its official X handle: “Caught red-handed! @BJP4India ‘s MP candidate from Basirhat, Rekha Patra, plays the ultimate game of hypocrisy, enjoying the benefits of Smt. @MamataOfficial ‘s schemes while aligning herself with Delhi’s JOMIDARS.” It also put up a screenshot of Patra’s personal information from the State Government records. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya called out Trinamool Congress for leaking sensitive personal information of the party’s Lok Sabha candidate. Malviya posted on X.
In a post on X, Malviya quoted the post by Trinamool Congress’s official handle and wrote: “Shame on Mamata Banerjee. In a bid to denigrate the protesting women of #Sandeshkhali, TMC stoops to a new low and officially leaks sensitive government data, including personal details of Rekha Patra, BJP’s candidate from Basirhat. TMC has to take the blame for any eventuality.”
He added: “The Swasthya Sathi card, referred to here, is as good as defunct. The healthcare facilities in West Bengal, under Mamata Banerjee, are abysmal, forcing lakhs of people from Bengal to seek medical care in other states. Besides, a petulant Mamata Banerjee has not allowed Prime Minister Modi’s Ayushman Bharat to be implemented in West Bengal, denying benefits to crores of people.”
Urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take cognisance of the post made by the Trinamool Congress and take immediate steps to ensure personal data of West Bengal residents are not leaked or misused, he wrote: “Urge ECI to take immediate steps, to ensure personal data of all residents of West Bengal is safe with the government of WB and not leaked or misused by the ruling TMC.”
Netizens strongly protested the leak of personal information by the Trinamool Congress.
BefittingFacts wrote, “Shameful act by Trinamool Congress Party. They are not only leaking personal data of the BJP MP candidate but also using govt websites to set political goals. According to the TMC, anyone who is beneficiary of govt schemes should not speak against govt or fight election against ruling party. If that is the case, every beneficiary of Ayushman, PM Awas, Swachh Bharat should vote for BJP?”
Rekha Patra too struck back. “Is the Trinamool trying to say that I have to support the party to enjoy the benefits of Government programmes?”
Her lawyer lodged a complaint with the National Commission of Women and the National Commission of Scheduled Castes against Debangshu Bhattacharya, the IT chief and the Trinamool Congress’ candidate from Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, who also posted on his Facebook account.
In his complaint, Patra’s lawyer pointed out that Rekha Patra was a member of the Scheduled Caste and wrote: “Recently, by way of a post on the Facebook account of Debangshu Bhattacharyya, candidate set up by the Trinamool Congress from the Tamluk Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency, he has posted the private details of my client such as phone number, bank account details, swasthya sathi scheme details as well as the Duare Sarkar scheme details, which is a clear violation of the right of privacy of my client abovenamed as well as outraging of my client’s modesty due to making public her personal details.”