Sandeshkhali violence: Caste panel recommends President's rule amid rape allegations
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has recommended President's Rule in West Bengal amid ongoing violence and political unrest in Sandeshkhali gram panchayat. This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party accused Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates of multiple sexual assaults. A NCSC delegation visited Sandeshkhali on Thursday and submitted a report to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. NCSC Chairperson Arun Halder expressed concern that criminals were collaborating with the government, negatively affecting Scheduled Caste community members.
Why does this story matter?
Sandeshkhali grabbed headlines in February for protests against Sheikh, popularly known as the "betaj badshah (or brazen king)" of Sandeshkhali, for his influence and alleged atrocities. Locals have been demanding the arrest of Sheikh and his aides. They also held protests and vandalized the leaders' properties. The situation took a turn for the worse in recent days after allegations of rape of "young Hindu married women" emerged. The BJP has accused TMC workers of raping women in Sandeshkhali for months.
Opposition parties prevented from visiting Sandeshkhali
A six-member BJP central team and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were allegedly stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali on Friday. The Congress group was led by the party's state chief, Chowdhury, an unrelenting critic of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. To note, the Congress and the TMC are likely allies for the 2024 general elections. According to Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik, the police denied permission for the BJP team to enter Sandeshkhali, citing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC.
What are the allegations against Sheikh, his aides
Women from Sandeshkhali have accused TMC leader Sheikh and his associates of sexual assault and torture. They claim that TMC leaders kidnapped their husbands and forced their wives to report to the party's local office. "If we refused to go... they would thrash them," a woman alleged. The allegations reached the Supreme Court on Friday morning after an advocate filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), demanding an inquiry by a special investigation team or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Banerjee denies allegations, accuses BJP of inciting trouble
CM Banerjee has denied the allegations, stating that she has "never allowed injustice" and accusing the BJP of inciting trouble in Sandeshkhali before the Lok Sabha elections. She said, "First they targeted Sheikh through ED, and then started trouble (in Sandeshkhali) by getting people in. There is an RSS base there. There were riots earlier too." She said that 17 people have been arrested so far, including a former Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA and a local BJP leader.
