Opposition parties, including Congress and BJP, tried to visit the restive region but were stopped by police citing prohibitory orders.
Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been in the news for nearly a month. The village has witnessed unprecedented protests over allegations of sexual abuse by scores of women against a local TMC leader named Shahjahan Sheikh. On Friday, Congress and BJP teams, including Union ministers, tried to visit the restive region but were stopped by police citing prohibitory orders. Opposition political parties, including the BJP, CPI(M)-led Left Front and Congress, have been holding protests over alleged atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali for more than a week.
How did it start?
On January 5, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the residence of now absconding TMC strongman Shajahan Shiekh in Sandeshkhali in the multi-crore ration distribution scam. Shajahan's men in the locality not only prevented the ED officers from entering his home but also assaulted them before the central probe agency's men managed to escape from the village around 74 km away from the city. Shajahan is also a member of Zilla Parishad.
After the ED incident, local women in large numbers came out in the open and alleged that Shajahan and his men forcibly grabbed their land for prawn cultivation, torturing and sexually harassing them for several years.
What are the main allegations?
"Party (TMC) men would survey every home and if there was any beautiful woman, primarily a young wife or a girl, they would take them to the party office. They will keep that woman there night after night till they are satisfied," one of the several local women, who kept her face covered to hide her identity fearing attack by Shajahan and his associates, alleged. They not only accused Shajahan but also alleged that his close aides and other TMC leaders Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra were involved in the abuse.
Women protested with bamboo sticks, and brooms and gheraoed the local police stations demanding the immediate arrest of Shajahan, Shibaprasad Hazra. Allegations led to protests and a political blame game.
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Tension escalated last Friday when the protesting women burnt down three poultry farms owned by Hazra, which they claimed were built on a piece of land forcibly grabbed from local villagers. This led the opposition parties in Bengal to escalate their demands to arrest Shajahan and his men immediately.
The BJP, CP(IM), and Congress alleged that the ruling TMC administration has been "giving protection" to Shajahan and his men. While some of the TMC leaders claimed that Shajahan was wrongfully framed by the opposition parties who have joined hands keeping in mind the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
What did West Bengal CM say?
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said those who were responsible have been put behind bars. The situation was being monitored closely and necessary steps were being taken, she had said. She blamed BJP for fomenting trouble in the area, while the BJP and the National Commission for Women (NCW) accused her party TMC and the state government of being complicit in crimes against women in the area.
(With inputs from PTI)
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 "DNA Explainer: What's happening in Bengal's Sandeshkhali? What is TMC's Shahjahan Sheikh accused of?")
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