TMC trying to shield perpetrator, says PM Modi amid Sandeshkhali row

"This huge gathering displays the BJP's commitment to harnessing the strength of 'Naari Shakti' for the progress of 'Viksit Bharat', said the prime minister.

"The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has sinned the women of the state by safeguarding the perpetrators who have been involved in outraging their modesty", Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government today.

While the TMC government faces the heat for the Sandeshkhali violence in what can be seen as a setback weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections, the Prime Minister termed the Sandeshkhali incident as a "shame" for West Bengal.

Chanting "Jai Maa Durga" and "Jai Maa Kaali", PM Modi, on March 6,  said that the "mothers and sisters of West Bengal have always stood up to protect him". He was addressing the BJP's "Nari Shakti Vandan" rally in Barasat amid the Sandeshkhali row in the state.

"Every woman and daughter in Bengal is a part of my extended family. I dedicate every atom of my being and every moment of my life to this family," said the Prime Minister, who received a warm welcome to the podium, greeted by idols of Goddess Kali and Maa Durga.

"In times of difficulty for Modi, these women, sisters, and daughters stand as a protective shield. The mothers and daughters of Bengal rise like the formidable Goddess Durga. Residents, farmers, and every sister and daughter proudly proclaim themselves as part of Modi's family," he further noted.

The prime minister lashed out at the ruling party in the state for failing to protect women. "The women of Bengal are outraged at the failure of the state government to deliver justice for the violence they have been facing in the state. Sandeshkhali will brew a storm in the state. The TMC is not bothered about the safety of the women in the state", he also said.

"This huge gathering displays the BJP's commitment to harnessing the strength of 'Naari Shakti' for the progress of 'Viksit Bharat'. On January 9, the BJP launched the nationwide 'Shakti Vandan' campaign, engaging with countless self-help groups across the country", said PM Modi.

Thousands of women have marched from Sandeshkhali to Barasat to attend PM Modi's "Nari Shakti Vandan" rally. A bus carrying residents from Sandeshkhali on its way to Barasat in North 24-Parganas was reportedly halted by the police, to prevent individuals who had experienced violence from meeting PM Modi, according to a PTI report.

PM Modi's third visit to Bengal within a week coincides with a legal dispute between the state police and the Central Bureau of Investigation over the custody of Sheikh Shahjahan, a suspended TMC leader from Sandeshkhali. Shahjahan was apprehended last week after eluding law enforcement for over 50 days.

Also Read | Why BJP sees an opening in West Bengal because of Sandeshkhali

This comes a day after the Calcutta High Court ordered that the investigation into the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali on January 5 be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On March 6, the West Bengal government urgently requested the Supreme Court to prioritise the hearing of its petition challenging the Calcutta HC directive.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated India's first underwater metro line in Kolkata.