Accusing the West Bengal government of stifling the voices of numerous women in Sandeshkhali during protests against alleged TMC-led atrocities, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the state.

During the day, Sharma led a delegation of the commission to the restive area and said her visit was to instil confidence in women there so that many of them could come out and start speaking their minds.

The NCW chairperson alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government was trying to "suppress the voice of women so that the truth would not come out".

“After speaking to women in the area, I found out the situation here in Sandeshkhali is horrible. Several women narrated their ordeals. One of them said that she was raped inside the TMC party office here. We demand that President’s Rule be imposed in Bengal. We would also mention it in our report,” Sharma told PTI over the phone.

Asked to react to the TMC’s allegations that the NCW is working under the influence of the BJP, Sharma declined to comment.

“Let them say whatever they want to, I don’t want to comment on it,” she said.

Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, has been witnessing protests over alleged atrocities, including sexual abuse, by some TMC leaders against villagers and has triggered a fierce political blame game.

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