TMC vs BJP: Mamata govt cites Brij Bhushan case to counter PM Modi’s Shahjahan Sheikh dig

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his rival Mamata Banerjee's turf West Bengal on March 6, hit out at the TMC

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting double standards after the latter attacked it over the Sandeshkhali issue.

The riverine island of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district has been on the boil over allegations of sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing by suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his cohorts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his rival Mamata Banerjee's turf West Bengal on March 6, hit out at the TMC and said that the storm of Sandeshkhali will reach every part of the state.

"Under TMC's rule, the women of this land have been tortured. Whatever happened in Sandeshkhali will put anyone to shame but the TMC government does not care about your issues. TMC leaders have committed atrocities on the women of the state. The party has full confidence in their leader but not in the women of West Bengal," the Prime Minister said while addressing a women's rally at Barasat.

Reacting to Modi's statement, senior TMC leader and party's Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien asked the reason why 51 cases of crimes are being registered against women every hour in the country.

"Why does Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have 13 percent women in the Lok Sabha, why are there only 14 percent women in the first list of 195 candidates released by the BJP?" he further asked.

"Why was no action taken against the BJP MP accused of sexually harassing wrestlers?," Derek O'Brien further questioned, referring to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, who has been accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. Singh, however, has denied the allegations leveled against him.

Meanwhile, Modi had also attacked the TMC, saying it did not let a women's helpline -- arranged by the saffron party -- function in the state.

"TMC government can never protect women. Whereas, the BJP government has decided to award life imprisonment for heinous crimes like rape. For easy registration of women's complaints, we have arranged for a 'Women Helpine', but the TMC government is not letting it operate in West Bengal. This TMC government can never work for the welfare of women...," he said.

"Where was your women's helpline when the Delhi Police was beating up the women protesting against your minister Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh?," TMC's Sushmita Dev asked.

Modi on March 6 also met a group of women from Sandeshkhali. He met them following the public rally at Barasat in North 24 Parganas district where Sandeshkhali is located.

"The women spoke about the atrocities that were perpetrated on them,” BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul told news agency PTI.

(With agencies inputs)