The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed on Saturday that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was responsible for two tribal women being “stripped naked, tortured, and beaten mercilessly” a few days ago in Malda while police stood by as “mute spectators.”
In response, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), lead by Mamata Banerjee, claimed that the BJP was unnecessarily politicking the matter and that the ladies had been discovered stealing, which had incensed the villagers.
Amit Malviya, the chairman of the BJP’s IT department, posted a purported video of the incident on Twitter today. He claimed that the incident took place on July 19 in Pakua Hat, a weekly market near the Bamangola Police Station in Malda.
Women and Child Development minister of West Bengal Shashi Panja said, “There is absolutely no need to politicise the Malda incident. It was a case of theft, where the two ladies tried to steal something from the market. A group of women tried to take law and order into their hands and started beating them. However, the police reached the spot. A case has been registered and police are investigating the matter.”
“It has nothing to do with politics though we have taken suo motu of the incident,” Panja said.
“The horror continues in West Bengal. Two Tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in Pakua Hat area of Bamangola Police Station, Malda,” Malviya tweeted.
“The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The women belonged to socially marginalised community and had a frenzied mob baying for her blood…,” Malviya who is the party’s BJP in-charge of West Bengal said.
Attacking the state’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Malviya posted, “It had all the making of a tragedy that should have ‘broken’ Mamata Banerjee’s heart and she, instead of merely outraging, could have acted, since she is also the Home Minister of Bengal…” Malviya said.
Malviya alleged that the West Bengal chief minister “chose to do nothing.”
“Neither did she condemn the barbarity nor did she express pain and anguish because it would have exposed her own failing as a Chief Minister. But a day after, she shed copious tears and screamed blue murder, because it was politically expedient…” the BJP leader tweeted.
Mamata Banerjee had attacked the BJP-led government harshly over the incident in Manipur, where the BJP is in power and where two women were paraded in their pants. A video of the May 4 incident went viral on social media, sparking outrage across the country and political leaders denouncing it. The topic was brought up by opposition leaders during the current Monsoon session of Parliament.
The West Bengal government’s “lawlessness” in relation to the Malda tragedy has also come under fire from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
“Malda’s incident should not be compared with that of Manipur. Atrocities against women in any part of the country are condemnable…West Bengal’s incident where ‘Adivasi’ women can be seen beating other ‘Adivasi’ women is condemnable…It is just an example of West Bengal government’s lawlessness,” CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat told the media.
A BJP worker from Howrah’s South Panchala in West Bengal, however, alleged on Friday that she was pulled outside the polling place and had her clothing torn off during the most recent panchayat elections in the state. The woman claimed to have reported the incident via a FIR.
