The BJP is finding it difficult to take Sandeshkahli’s alleged victims of sexual assault to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Barasat on Wednesday as some women, who waged war against the atrocities, have got cold feet at the last minute and refused to attend the meeting.
Modi is scheduled to attend the “Shakti Vandan Concluding Karyakram” at Barasat’s Kachhari Maidan on Wednesday to promote women’s empowerment and announce a slew of new initiatives for women. The BJP’s national unit has drawn up plans to broadcast the programme — during which Modi is likely to speak to some victims of Sandeshkhali on the sidelines — live in each mandal (an organisational zone, comprising a few villages) across the country.
A source said the BJP had initially made a list of 50 women who publicly spoke about sexual harassment at the hands of Trinamul leaders and lodged complaints against local strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides even before their arrest.
“Around 20 such women, including one of the two who lodged complaints of gang rape, left us in the lurch at the last minute when we began discussing the details of how to take them to Barasat.... We can understand that they are under pressure as the ruling party is trying to keep them away from the programme. But we are still trying our best to take them,” said a BJP leader who is a member of a team involved in bringing Sandeshkhali victims to Modi’s public meeting.
A source said the BJP had earlier planned to set up a separate stage for the women of Sandeshkhali, but the idea was dropped and the party kept a separate enclosure for those from the troubled zone.
“Around one lakh women from across the state will come to Barasat on Wednesday to listen to Modiji. Some women, who are stalwarts in different fields, will share the dais with the Prime Minister. But the Sandeshkhali victims will not be on the stage,” said Phalguni Patra, Bengal President of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, the official organiser of the event.
Samik Bhattacharya, a Rajya Sabha member and the chief spokesperson for the BJP in Bengal, accused Trinamul of trying to prevent women from the strife-torn zone from reaching Barasat.
“Trinamul always tries to prevent our workers from coming to party programmes and they are doing the same this time.... We are confident that a good number of victims will turn up at the programme,” he said.
A BJP leader in Sandeshkhali said although a section of the victims was unwilling to go to Barasat, more women from different villagers of Sandeshkhali 1 and 2 blocks would turn up at the rally.
“I don’t know about those particular faces.... I can say that at least 1,000 women will come to Barasat tomorrow...,” said Tapas Ghosh, the BJP’s Barasat organisational district president.
Trinamul said most people and victims were not willing to go to Modi’s rally in Barasat as they understood that it was Mamata Banerjee, who stood by them to give them justice.
“People of Sandeshkhali have already understood that Mamata Banerjee and her government have come forward to give justice to them. They saw how police arrested the accused persons and the administration came forward to return the land, allegedly grabbed by some people. So, the BJP’s plan to do politics with the poor people of Sandeshkhali will not work anymore,” said Partha Bhowmick, the state irrigation minister and one of the Trinamul leaders assigned to set things right in Sandeshkhali.
