Calcutta:
The Sandeshkhali issue, which is one of the biggest talking points in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls due to the BJP's incessant attacks on the Trinamool Congress, took a major twist on Saturday when a video surfaced allegedly showing a BJP leader in village admitted that no rapes or sexual harassment had taken place and women were convinced to file such complaints on the instructions of senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari.
The Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have lashed out at the BJP after the video started doing the rounds, claiming that it proves that the entire incident was scripted by the party to defame West Bengal. The BJP has strongly denied the allegations.
The video has surfaced at a time when West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who had also attacked the state government over Sandeskhali's allegations, was accused of sexual harassment by a temporary employee of the Raj Bhavan.
NDTV could not verify the authenticity of the sting video, which was recorded by a private news channel. The BJP and the leader in the video claim that the vote was doctored.
In the video, BJP's Mandal Sabhapati Gangadhar Koyal can be heard saying that his party had convinced the women, who were protesting against the alleged land grab in the village by Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjhan and his aides, that the Trinamool leader wouldn't do. be arrested until such allegations are made. The instructions for this, he claimed, were given by BJP's Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who was earlier with the Trinamool Congress.
The women alleged that they were raped and sexually harassed by Shahjahan and two of his aides. This had led to massive protests by the Bengal BJP and had emerged as a major national political issue in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also attacked the Trinamool Congress and Ms Banerjee, accusing it of protecting the leader, who was eventually arrested in February after being on the run for more than 50 days.
After the video was released, Gangadhar Koyal has said that it was part of a conspiracy and that technology was used to edit his voice. He has also sent a complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the Sandeshkhali case.
“My video, which is now going viral, is a conspiracy against me. They used technology to edit my voice. They wanted to defame me, my party, Suvendu Adhikari, and the women of Sandeshkhali,” Koyal said in Bengali.
'Phase-wise claims'
The Trinamool Congress shared the sting video on its official handle on X and wrote, “A viral video today showed how the BJP left no stone unturned to malign Bengalis. From 'mass rape' to 'gun seizure', every claim was bought and staged. by none other than Suvendu Adhikari. People will not forgive these Bangla-Birodhis (people who oppose the mothers and sisters of Bengal)!
Addressing a meeting at Chakdah in Nadia district, Ms Banerjee said, “The entire Sandeshkhali incident was planned in advance. The BJP had written it right. The truth has come to light. I've been saying this for a long time. I didn't see the events. whole video, I will definitely see it.”
“Prime Minister Modi gave sandesh (messages) on Sandeshkhali but remained silent on the sexual harassment claims against the Governor, a representative of the Centre,” the Trinamool Congress chief was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
'Spreading rumours'
BJP leader Rahul Sinha hit back and said the Trinamool is spreading rumors because they know they are losing in the electoral battleground.
“The Trinamool Congress has seen that it has no chance, it has started spreading rumours. They have also hatched a conspiracy by procuring a woman to level allegations against the governor,” he said in Hindi.
Sharing Mr Koyal's video in which he claims his voice has been edited, Mr Adhikari said in a post on However, its shelf life is very short. In the end, the truth prevailed.”
Six of the 42 Lok Sabha seats have been held in Bengal in the two phases held so far. The Basirhat constituency, where the BJP has hosted a sexual harassment survivor from Sandeshkhali, will vote in the final phase on June 1.