West Bengal post-poll violence: BJP’s fact finding team visits Amtala

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 18 (ANI): A four-member central team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met with victims of the alleged post-poll violence against party workers in West Bengal at the BJP’s party office in Amtala in South 24 Parganas on Tuesday.

The team including former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and party MPs Biplab Kumar Deb, Brij Lal, and Kavita Patidar had arrived in the State on Sunday.

After meeting with people today, the former Union minister Prasad said, “Everywhere the same story if you’ll work for the BJP, you’ll be beaten up. If you come, your wife and parents will have to suffer violence. Mamata ji, this is your government. Women are being beaten up here… It’s a very serious issue, Mamata ji, you should be ashamed. One thing, I would like to tell the police, our party workers have expressed their plight in front of you, if the police file any fake cases against them, that’ll be wrong. We will take it with utmost seriousness at the national level…”

Rajya Sabha MP and former Tripura Chief Mnister Biplab Kumar Deb said, “Women are not given respect here… We will put an end to this system. We will submit this report to JP Nadda and our team will work not only with the BJP party workers but with all the women of Bengal to free it (Bengal from the current government).”

Yesterday, Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that a Trinamool Congress worker had attempted to rape a Scheduled Caste (SC) woman and no FIR was lodged against him.

reported that the woman was assaulted and identified the TMC worker but no action was taken. “She was crying when she told us everything,” Prasad said.

“The people of Cooch Behar were beaten. Women and children were mistreated. But the most disturbing incident is that a TMC worker attempted to rape a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC). Her clothes were torn and was molested in the village. She even identified the TMC worker but even an FIR has not been lodged against the man. The woman told us everything. She was crying. We wouldn’t like to reveal her identity”, Prasad told reporters in Kolkata yesterday.

The BJP fact-finding committee arrived in Kolkata on Sunday to assess the situation after multiple reports of violence against BJP workers and vandalism of their offices emerged following the declaration of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results. The team visited injured victims at a hospital in Cooch Behar and interacted with them.

Prasad shared his observations on social media, expressing concern over the condition of the victims and calling for accountability from the TMC government. He emphasized that the BJP would provide the necessary support to the victims.

The committee also met with BJP workers in Cooch Behar, who described the violence and threats they faced. Many had been unable to return home due to fear.

West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, met with Governor CV Ananda Bose with victims of the violence, seeking his intervention. Adhikari had previously written to the Governor, urging action to prevent further incidents.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 29 seats, BJP secured 12, and Congress took one seat out of West Bengal’s 42 seats.