Union Minister Smriti Irani launched a scathing critique against West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee on Monday, accusing her of being notorious for the "genocide of Hindus" and of condoning sexual assaults perpetrated by her party workers.
Irani's forceful condemnation came in response to allegations made by a group of women in Sandeshkhali, located in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, who claimed that Trinamool Congress' local leader Shajahan Sheikh and his cohorts forcibly seized land and subjected them to sexual violence. They demanded Sheikh's immediate arrest.
The accused, Shajahan Sheikh, has been on the run since last month after an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, investigating an alleged ration scam, was assaulted by a mob of his supporters during a raid on his residence.
In her remarks, Irani underscored Mamata Banerjee's purported history of perpetrating violence against Hindus, asserting that the current allegations of sexual assault against married Hindu women by TMC members represent a new nadir in her leadership. Irani emphasized the gravity of the situation, implying that mere words cannot adequately capture the horror described in the allegations.
Irani further questioned the ethical responsibility of citizens in the face of such atrocities, accusing Mamata Banerjee of sacrificing the dignity of marginalized communities, such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, for her political gain.
Drawing attention to Mamata Banerjee's role as the head of the home department, Irani criticized the silence of those embarking on justice-oriented journeys across the country, hinting at the complicity or apathy of certain political factions.
Irani characterized the reported incidents as a state-sanctioned assault on Hindus, insinuating that the government was complicit in the violence.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose arrived in Kolkata from Kerala and immediately proceeded to Sandeshkhali to assess the situation firsthand.
However, the BJP faced obstacles in its attempts to visit the unrest-hit area, with senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari and several other MLAs being barred from entering the region due to prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure imposed by the police.
