BJP accuses TMC of defaming widow of Pahalgam attack victim
What's the story
BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) of trying to defame the widow of a victim from the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Malviya claims local TMC leaders are trying to label Sohini Adhikari as a Bangladeshi national so as to deny her compensation and funds raised in her late husband's name.
He made the allegations on X (formerly Twitter).
Campaign details
Allegations of a smear campaign against Sohini Adhikari
Malviya alleges that a concerted campaign is on to discredit Sohini Adhikari.
According to him, the smear campaign was being fed by malicious stories in the media, which were an attempt to draw attention from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The BJP leader hinted that Sohini, a Hindu woman, might be a Bangladeshi national who came to Kolkata for studies.
CAA connection
Malviya links situation to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
Malviya linked the case of Sohini Adhikari to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which he said was brought in to solve the problems of minorities, especially Hindus from neighboring Islamic countries.
He said her case highlights the need for CAA as it provides shelter to those fleeing persecution, whose documents are now being questioned.
Historical context
Malviya accuses TMC of using similar tactics in the past
Malviya quoted the case of Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, where criminals had employed similar tactics.
He accused Mamata Banerjee's loyalists, including TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, of directly participating in the campaign against Sohini Adhikari.
The BJP IT Cell Chief claimed that the TMC is pressuring Bitan Adhikari's family to discredit his widow as part of a larger effort to push a narrative suggesting dubious Hindu Bangladeshis are aligned with the BJP.
Attack details
Pahalgam terror attack linked to cross-border terrorism networks
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26, has been attributed to The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Security has been ramped up in the area in the wake of the attack, especially since the Amarnath Yatra is approaching.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also taken over, linking local operatives to cross-border terrorism networks.
Twitter Post
Malviya's post attacking TMC
This is the ugly underbelly of Mamata Banerjee and her party in West Bengal.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 26, 2025
The parents and brother of Bitan Adhikari, one of the Pahalgam attack victims, with support from local TMC leaders, are attempting to disown his wife, Sohini Adhikari, by branding her a Bangladeshi…