Mamata Banerjee to Visit Sandeshkhali on December 30

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the riverine island of Sandeshkhali in the Sundarbans on December 30 to attend a government event focused on distributing benefits under various social security schemes. The event will primarily aim to provide assistance under flagship programs such as 'Lakshmir Bhandar' (a financial empowerment scheme for women) and 'Banglar Bari' (a housing scheme for the poor). The Chief Minister announced the visit during a press conference on Thursday. This coms nearly a year after the area made headlines due to allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault involving local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. Banerjee, who had promised to visit Sandeshkhali after the state elections, said, “People had asked me during the elections if I would visit Sandeshkhali, and I assured them I would come later. Now, I am fulfilling that promise.”

A Year After Tension and Allegations

Sandeshkhali, a quiet village in the Sundarbans, became the focal point of political controversy earlier this year. In January 2024, tensions escalated after attacks on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who had gone to the area to raid the house of local TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan. The situation worsened with allegations of sexual assault, which were later linked to local political factions. The controversy became a central talking point in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP using the allegations to target the Mamata Banerjee-led government. The party also fielded Rekha Patra, a survivor of the alleged abuse, as their candidate for the Basirhat constituency, which includes Sandeshkhali. Despite the publicity surrounding the case, Patra lost to TMC's Haji Nurul Islam, who secured a victory with a margin of over three lakh votes. However, Islam passed away on September 25, 2024, leading to the prospect of a by-election in the constituency.

TMC's Denial and Ongoing Investigations

TMC leaders have strongly contested the sexual assault allegations, calling them a politically motivated attempt by the BJP to tarnish the image of Bengal. A purported sting operation later claimed that the rape complaints were fabricated in exchange for money. Sheikh Shahjahan, the local TMC leader, was arrested by the police and later handed over to the CBI for further investigation. However, the probe into the sexual assault allegations remains ongoing.​