National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday called for resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and imposition of President’s Rule following allegations of sexual abuse by TMC leaders in Sandeshkhali.
The NCW chief’s remarks drew a sharp rebuttal from the ruling TMC, which accused the panel of echoing the BJP’s agenda and wondered why the panel failed to show similar promptness in BJP-ruled states.
Sharma, who led a delegation of NCW to the unrest-hit area in North 24 Parganas district, said the visit was aimed at bolstering confidence among women to speak out about their experiences. Amid ongoing tensions in Sandeshkhali over protests against TMC-led atrocities and sexual harassment, police maintained a strong presence as normalcy struggled to return to the area.
“After speaking with women in Sandeshkhali, it’s clear the situation is dire. Numerous women shared their harrowing experiences; one even reported being raped inside a TMC party office. We demand President’s Rule in Bengal, which we will also include in our report,” she added.
The demand for imposition of President’s Rule in West Bengal came days after the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) recommended the same in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on alleged harassment of women by TMC supporters in Sandeshkhali.
“I think the Chief Minister should resign,” Sharma said while talking to reporters. She accused the Mamata Banerjee government of attempting to suppress women’s voices to conceal the truth and emphasised the need for the arrest of Shajahan Sheikh, an absconding TMC leader allegedly involved in the atrocities, to encourage more women to come forward with complaints.
“I am in Sandeshkhali for the entire day to hear from women. But the culprit must be arrested. Once (Shajahan) Shiekh is arrested, I believe more women will come out with their complaints. We have to instil confidence in them. I will talk to the police,” Sharma told reporters soon after reaching the area.
Sharma’s visit comes after a two-member team of the commission took stock of the situation in the area last week and submitted a report. The NCW chairperson alleged that neither the district magistrate nor the superintendent of police were present there to meet her.
Senior state minister Shashi Panja asked, “Why didn’t she visit Madhya Pradesh’s Morena, where a pregnant woman was gang-raped and set ablaze? Why didn’t the NCW respond when female wrestlers protested against BJP MP’s alleged sexual misconduct? Why did the commission ignore complaints of atrocities against women in Manipur?” Panja claimed that the West Bengal government has taken all necessary steps to control the situation and several have been arrested.
“Manipur was burning for the last several months. Did the BJP chief minister resign? Did they impose President’s Rule there? The commission should act impartially and should not act as an extended office of the BJP,” she said. The panel is just parroting the agenda of the BJP, TMC state vice president Jaiprakash Majumdar said.
