Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has levied accusations against the BJP, alleging their orchestration of the Sandeshkhali incidents, where allegations of sexual abuse against Trinamool Congress leaders have emerged, with the intention to malign the state.
The BJP released a video on social media, asserting that the footage corroborated their claim of the BJP’s involvement in the Sandeshkhali episode.
“I have long maintained that the BJP has been endeavoring to tarnish the image of Bengal by engineering the Sandeshkhali incident. The sting operation has laid bare the true intentions of the ‘Bangla-Birodhis’ as they attempted to manipulate the sentiments of our mothers and sisters. On May 13th, the people of Ranaghat shall ensure the expulsion of the Bangla-Birodhis from Bengal!” Banerjee stated.
In the purported video, a man claiming to be Gangadhar Kayal, identified as a BJP mandal president in North 24 Parganas district’s Sandeshkhali, alleged that the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, “Suvendu Adhikari, is behind the entire conspiracy.”
The authenticity of the video posted by the TMC was not verified by PTI.
The local BJP leader was also heard suggesting that Nandigram MLA “Adhikari himself had planted guns at a house in Sandeshkhali, which were later presented as evidence by central agencies.”
Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh dismissed the alleged “sting video,” stating it would have no impact on the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal.
“It was not the BJP but the common people of Sandeshkhali who protested in the streets against atrocities on women by local TMC leaders,” asserted Ghosh, the BJP nominee for the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency.
Banerjee further remarked that the “shocking Sandeshkhali sting exposes the deep-seated corruption within the BJP.”
Adhikari, responding to the allegations, denounced the video as doctored, while Kayal filed a complaint with the CBI, alleging that it was manipulated and created using artificial intelligence.
