Kolkata: In a disturbing incident, a woman in Nandigram, West Bengal, was allegedly stripped naked and forced to parade for 300 meters by local BJP workers. While locals suggest the assault stemmed from a long-standing dispute between two neighbours over water drainage issues, TMC has accused the BJP of political revenge.
The assaulted woman’s family had recently switched allegiance from the BJP to the TMC.
“I used to be with the BJP, but recently joined the TMC, which is why I was attacked,” the victim stated. TMC leaders have arranged for her to be taken to Kolkata for medical care.
Condemning the attack, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed, “Since the family supports the TMC, the BJP committed this atrocity against the woman out of political vengeance. This incident is utterly shameful. We visited the hospital and heard from the victim how BJP workers tortured her. There are no words to condemn this.”
The incident has intensified fear in the locality, known as a BJP stronghold, with residents unwilling to speak to the media.
On Sunday, an eight-member TMC delegation visited Nandigram to meet the assaulted woman.
In a bid to downplay the political angle, BJP’s district council leader Bamdeb Guchait termed the incident “shameful” but claimed, “Although those accused are our supporters, they are not party leaders or workers. Therefore, portraying this as a politically motivated act by our party is propaganda.”
The police have arrested six individuals, including the BJP’s booth president, Tapas Das, in connection with the incident.
The incident has added to the BJP’s embarrassment, particularly as the party intensifies its criticism of the state government over the RG Kar Hospital incident.
“No crime has a colour, and those responsible for this in Nandigram must be punished. However, violence against women has become a common occurrence in West Bengal. The Chief Minister is marching on the streets, demanding justice against her own government to cover up the RG Kar Hospital incident – there can be no greater shame,” said former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee.
Gender activist Satabdi Das criticised the BJP’s history of misogyny, referencing past incidents like Unnao and Kathua.
“It’s shocking! Here we are fighting so that women stay secure, and in Nandigram, a woman became a soft target only because she was a member of the ruling party! We are fighting against patriarchy and the state, not any individual. But BJP itself is such a misogynist party with a history of Unnao and Kathua that it can hardly understand the spirit of this movement,” said Das.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
