NEW DELHI: National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Thursday in a scathing attack on the TMC-led West Bengal government over the Sandeshkhali incident, said that justice cannot be delivered when the state government is hell-bent on shielding the criminals.
“When the government begins thinking that they have to save their government by hook or by crook, then I don’t believe that justice can be given to anybody. In West Bengal, the same thing happened; it was all about politics and money in Sandeshkhali and it’s still there. I will say, nothing has changed. When politics and money become more significant for the government, then citizens become secondary,” she said.
The NCW Chief accused the West Bengal government of being intolerant towards the opposition.
“The West Bengal government cannot tolerate opposition; if I go and say something, I will be prevented too,” she said.
Further, she hoped that justice would be served to the women of Sandeshkhali now that the suspended Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan, the key accused in the Sandeshkhali extortion, land grab, and sexual assault cases, has been handed over to the custody of the CBI.
“The prime accused has now come under the radar of the CBI, and now I think that justice will be served to women,” she said.
Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district had been witnessing widespread protests against Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the incidents of Sandeshkhali have exposed the Bengal government and the manner in which women have been exploited on the basis of religion under the rule of a women Chief Minister cannot be tolerated.
Speaking at the Republic Summit 2024, Amit Shah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will fight against this with full force and bring a change in Bengal.
“The incidents of Sandeshkhali have exposed the Bengal government 100 per cent. The manner in which women have been exploited on the basis of religion under the rule of a women CM cannot be tolerated. We will fight against this with full force and we will bring about change in Bengal,” he said.
“Today, if any state has the biggest problem of infiltration, it is in Bengal. I am telling you on the basis of facts that the infiltration that takes place in Bengal is state sponsored. To increase vote bank, national security is being ignored. Today the country needs to stand with Bengal. Our graph has increased in Bengal and this time we will cross the figure of 25. Earlier, we had two MLAs, today 77 have been made. The government of Bengal is corrupt and does appeasement on the basis of religion. We want to make Bengal ‘Sonar Bangla’ again,” Amit Shah added. (ANI)