PM Modi slams TMC over Sandeshkhali incident; says entire country 'ashamed'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an all out attack against the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal over the Sandeshkhali issue and said the entire country is "ashamed" and seething with anger over sexual atrocities against women by TMC leaders there.

Addressing a public meeting at Arambagh in Hooghly district, Modi also criticised the opposition bloc INDIA for keeping silent on the Sandeshkhali atrocities. He likened the inaction of the opposition alliance to the "three monkeys" of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Prime Minister took on the TMC government over corruption charges, saying: "It is my guarantee that those who have looted public funds will face consequences."

"The whole country is sad and is seething with anger after seeing what the TMC, which beats the drum of Maa, Mati, and Manush, has done to the sisters of Sandeshkhali. The TMC leader crossed all limits of audacity with the sisters and daughters in Sandeshkhali. What TMC has done to the sisters of Sandeshkhali is a matter of shame," he said.

Referring to the neighbouring area of Khanakul, the birthplace of 19th-century social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy, the Prime Minister said: "Even the soul of Raja Ram Mohan Roy would be petrified after what has happened to the sisters and mothers of Sandeshkhali. His soul must be crying today. The TMC has to answer for the atrocities."

Modi urged the people of Bengal to respond to the wounds they were inflicted with by casting their votes against the TMC. "Will you forgive such a party, will you forgive TMC? You have to reply to every pain that they have caused to you through your votes," he said.

The defeat in LS polls will start the countdown of TMC's farewell from the state, Modi asserted.

The Sandeshkhali region, located on the fringes of the Sunderbans, has been engulfed in turmoil for over a month due to accusations against TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual abuse and land usurpation.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in the Arambagh area and said the Centre's direction, policies, decisions and intentions have been proved to be right as 25 crore people of the country have come out of poverty in the last 10 years.

"The women of Sandeshkhali asked for help. And what do they get? The chief minister did everything she could to protect those culprits," Modi said.

Modi credited the BJP's relentless efforts for Sheikh's arrest, asserting that the state administration was compelled to act in response to public pressure.

Criticising the state administration for failing to arrest Shajahan for nearly two months after the attack on Enforcement Directorate officials during a raid at his residence on January 5, Modi said, "The fact that he remained absconding for nearly two months, someone must be there who must be protecting him."

Shajahan was arrested by Bengal police on Thursday after being on the run for 55 days.

The Prime Minister's accusations of TMC being complicit in crimes against women drew a sharp riposte from Bengal's ruling party which wondered why he never bothered to visit the strife-torn Manipur, a BJP-ruled state, where women were sexually harassed during last year's ethnic violence.

Hitting out at the opposition bloc INDIA, Modi questioned their stoic silence on the issue of atrocities in Sandeshkhali.

"For INDI alliance leaders, supporting the corrupt and appeasement politics are of prime importance rather than standing by those tortured by the TMC in Sandeshkhali. They have turned into three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi that see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

"They are busy holding meetings in Patna, Bangalore, and Mumbai but seek answers from the Chief Minister on the Sandeshkhali. They did not bother to look at mothers and daughters of Sandeshkhali," he said.

He accused Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge of insulting the people of Bengal by downplaying the severity of the incident. "Congress president is saying such incidents (like Sandeshkhali) do happen in Bengal. Is this not an insult to Bengal," he asked.

Accusing the TMC of widespread corruption, Modi cited recent scams in primary teachers' recruitment, municipal body recruitment, and the public distribution system.

"The TMC has created a new model of crime and corruption in Bengal. The state government promotes corruption, encourages crime and in exchange for protection to criminals. Hordes of cash being recovered from the homes of TMC leaders, we have never seen such things in movies also," he said.

"They are angry with me and have identified me as their enemy number one. Modi will not give up easily. Modi is not afraid of their abuse. In West Bengal the central agencies cannot function freely, they sit on a dharna against the central agencies," he declared.

Furthermore, Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee government of obstructing central projects in the state and hindering the empowerment of marginalised sections like the poor, farmers, youth, and women.

"The arrogance of the TMC will end soon. It is confident that it has the support of a particular group, but the Muslim women too will now throw them out," Modi asserted.

The Bengal BJP unit has outlined an objective of securing more than 35 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. In the 2019 general elections, the saffron party had bagged 18 seats in the state.

Reacting strongly to the Prime Minister's allegations, state Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said: "The allegations are baseless. He was speaking about corruption but did the BJP suspend Suvendu Adhikari, named in the CBI FIR, from the party? He was speaking about atrocities against women but what about women of Manipur? He never bothered to visit the strife-torn Manipur."

TMC leader Sagarika Ghose wondered what steps the BJP has taken to protect the dignity of women.

Later in the evening, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on the Prime Minister at the Raj Bhawan in Kolkata.