Paschim Bardhaman (West Bengal):
Amid the explosive political fallout of an alleged 'sting video' alleging that the BJP has faked the horrors of Sandeshkhali to defame the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state, Dilip Ghosh, its candidate for the Bardhaman Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, which people “bought and sold” in the state.
Also tapping into the controversy surrounding the sexual assault charge against Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose by an employee of the Raj Bhavan, Mr Ghosh alleged that people were also being installed at the governor's official residence in exchange for money.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the former state president of the BJP said, “People are bought and sold (under the Trinamool). They are even seated or installed in the Raj Bhavan in exchange for money. This (alleged sting video) would not make any difference (to the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in the state). It was not the BJP but the common people of Sandeshkhali who broke out in protest and took to the streets against the ruling party (Sheikh) Shahjahan (ousted Trinamool strongman and key Sandeshkhali accused) has confessed to the charges against him. It was his goons who attacked the ED and CBI (teams).
The Trinamool on Saturday flagged a video of an alleged sting operation aired by a local television news channel.
In the alleged video, a person, reportedly a BJP mandal president named Gangadhar Koyal, is heard saying that Sandeshkhali women were not sexually assaulted but projected as survivors of a 'rape' at the behest of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari . .
The person in the video claimed that Suvendu Adhikari 'helped' him to do this and said the former told him that Trinamool strongmen in the area would not be arrested unless he was wrongly implicated in a 'rape case'.
However, the news outlet that broke the alleged sting operation did not testify to the veracity of the clip.
Trinamool leader and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, shared a clip of the alleged sting operation and claimed on his official X handle that the people must see through the BJP's attempts to tarnish the image and reputation of Bengal to make progress and achieve its political goals.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also posted about the alleged sting video from her official X-handle and said, “The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for the progressive thinking and culture of Bengal, the Bangla-Birodhis have never before in the history of India has a ruling party in Delhi attempted to defame an entire state and its people. History will see how Bengal will rise in anger against the conspiratorial regime of Delhi their Bishorjon (they will be sent to the waters).”
Shahjahan is currently behind bars in connection with the attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team while it was in the process of raiding his residence in connection with the alleged ration scam.
He was arrested on February 29, 55 days after he went on the run in connection with the attack on the ED team.
The women of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district earlier took to the streets against the ruling Trinamool and Shahjahan, accusing the now-ousted party strongman and his aides of committing gross excesses and atrocities against them while gobbling up their land.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)