“Sandeshkhali was Plan A of BJP and Plan B is to stoke riots in Bengal”, Mamata Banerjee promises to visit Sandeshkhali after…

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday unleashed a scathing attack on Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) over the Sandeshkhali issue, reiterating that the public uproar and allegation of rapes as part of systemic oppression in the island bordering Sundarbans, was a conspiracy hatched by the saffron party. She also warned that BJP could now stoke communal riots in the state for political gains in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. 

“The truth has come out. What BJP has done with the dignity of women, had hurt me deeply. They have insulted every woman. But be careful. They are now planning to instigate riots in the state. Sandeshkhali was their Plan A, which has failed and now they have a Plan B and that is to create riots in the state”, said the chief minister during a public meeting in Basirhat. Sandeshkhali comes under the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency. 

Sandeshkhali has dominated the headlines and news space since January after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who went to raid the house of now arrested and suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, came under attack from his supporters. Soon after that what followed was uproar led by women who also alleged sexual harassment as part of systemic oppression at the hands of Shahjahan and his associates. Shahjahan and his associates were later arrested by police and the matter has since gone to CBI for further investigation. 

But early in May a purported sting operation video appeared in which the local BJP block president named Gangadhar Koyal was caught on camera, allegedly admitting the uproar was engineered and the rape complaints by women were allegedly manufactured in exchange of money. The purported video has added a new twist in the tale with Trinamool Congress calling it a gameplay hatched by BJP for electoral gains. 

Since the uproar broke out, opposition parties had criticised Mamata Banerjee for not visiting the trouble torn island village. TMC supremo on Tuesday announced that she will visit Sandeshkhali soon after the elections. “As soon as our candidate Haji Nurul wins from Basirhat, I will first visit Sandeshkhali. I will go and meet the people there,” she added. Sandeshkhali goes to polling on June 1, in the last phase of elections.