Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit West Bengal's Sandeshkhali to meet with the women who have accused TMC leaders of sexual abuse, according to Suvendu Adhikari, the state's Leader of the Opposition.
In an interview with India Today TV, Adhikari confirmed preparations for PM Modi's visit to the region. The dates for his visit will be finalised by the Prime Minister’s Office, he added.
Many women in Sandeshkhali have accused TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates of “land grabbing and sexual assault.”
The situation in Sandeshkhali has become a major political issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of causing trouble, while the BJP and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have accused the TMC and the state government of involvement in crimes against women in the area.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined a request for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the sexual violence allegations in Sandeshkhali. The petitioner argued for an SIT probe, citing a similar action taken in Manipur last year.
However, Justice BV Nagarathna asked the petitioner not to compare the Sandeshkhali issue with the situation in Manipur.
Sandeshkhali Case So Far:
West CM Banerjee said she was sending officers to Sandeshkhali to address the allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing by TMC leaders.
She said if anyone's land was taken, it would be returned.
"I have never supported injustice. No woman has filed an FIR. I told the police to register a case. Our block president was arrested. How many BJP leaders have been arrested in such cases?” she said.
The BJP hit back at Banerjee's allegations levelled by Banerjee and called them "baseless".
"The law and order has completely broken down in West Bengal. The truth is, the TMC and the state government officials, be it police or local administration, were hand in glove while committing atrocities on locals. This is the true picture of West Bengal," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.
