The Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, informed India Today TV that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to undertake a visit to the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. During this visit, he is expected to meet with women from Sandeshkhali who have made accusations of sexual violence against leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Adhikari, in an exclusive interview with India Today TV, disclosed that preparations for the Prime Minister's visit are in progress, and the finalization of the visit dates will be coordinated by the Prime Minister's Office.
In the interim, sources have shared with India Today that the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Barasat in North 24 Parganas on March 7.
Suvendu Adhikari is planning to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday after receiving permission from the Calcutta High Court. He intends to go accompanied by four to five MLAs. Adhikari resorted to seeking court intervention after being prevented by the police from visiting the unrest-affected village on two occasions last week.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state unit criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday regarding the Sandeshkhali issue, alleging that "goons" were systematically targeting Hindu women and subjecting them to sexual assault. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, addressing a press conference in Delhi, asserted that the homes of women who had accused local TMC leaders of sexual assault were being looted after providing interviews to the media.
These developments followed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's comments on the unrest in Sandeshkhali, where she claimed that an incident was orchestrated and blamed the BJP, suggesting a collaboration with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in scripting the event.
The unrest in Sandeshkhali began over a month ago when an ED team en route to conduct a raid on TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan was attacked. Shahjahan subsequently went into hiding as the ED conducted raids on his house in Sandeshkhali in connection with an alleged public distribution scam. In his absence, several women from the village came forward with allegations of systematic sexual exploitation and land grabbing against Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates. Two TMC leaders, Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, close aides of Sheikh Shahjahan, have been arrested on gang rape charges following complaints filed by women from the village.
