The assault on a pregnant woman by a group of people over a land dispute led to a political spat in Bengal, with the BJP claiming that those involved in the attack were supporters of the TMC, a charge denied by the ruling party. Eight people have been arrested for the assault in north Kolkata’s Narkeldanga area.
The woman, who is eight months’ pregnant, is undergoing treatment at a city hospital. According to her father-in-law Shibshankar Das, a group of men, who were supporters of the TMC, had allegedly barged into their residence in Narkeldanga on Sunday and attacked him and his son Dipak.
Das, who admitted to have had a dispute over a plot with a builder, said that he and his son rushed to nearby police station for help, but were arrested there instead. “When we returned home after securing bail from a court, we found that my daughter-in-law was badly beaten up by the goons. Others at home were also assaulted, Das said.
Calling the TMC a savage outfit, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said members of the party have lost all ethics. “Those TMC leaders, who have been named in the case, were also accused of post-poll violence. The TMC has turned into a savage political outfit. They have lost all moral values and ethics which are followed in politics,” he said.
Local TMC leaders, including Beleghata MLA Paresh Paul and local councillor Swapan Sammadar, however, denied that party supporters had anything to do with the attack. “None of our party activists were involved in the assault. The allegations against us are baseless and politically motivated,” Sammadar said.
He also said that the arrest of eight persons, including TMC supporters, was an example of police excess. “Some police officials are behaving in a way as if the TMC is no longer in power… as if they have become a law unto themselves,” he said.
TMC workers also staged a rally outside the police station against “police excess”. Reacting sharply to Majumdar’s remarks, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the BJP should stop jumping to conclusions.
“The BJP has a habit of jumping to conclusions and blaming the TMC for everything. Let the investigation conclude. And we don’t need lessons from the BJP on respecting women. The saffron party has a dismal track record regarding women’s safety and security,” Ghosh added.
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