The political battle in West Bengal has intensified with a fresh row erupting between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the Sandeshkhali incident. The TMC has alleged that the BJP fabricated the incident, which involves accusations of atrocities against women in a village, to malign the TMC’s reputation ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
In response, the TMC released a video purportedly featuring Gangadhar Koyal, the BJP Mandal President. In the video, Koyal allegedly claims to have acted on the instructions of Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari to manipulate the situation and implicate TMC members.
The Sandeshkhali incident has brought into focus allegations of exploitation of women in the village. The CBI is currently investigating the case. Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed the video as fake and has filed a complaint with the CBI, alleging that artificial intelligence was used to manipulate Koyal’s voice. Adhikari has also defended himself, stating that he has always stood for truth and will continue to do so.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue of a woman who accused Governor C V Ananda Bose of molesting her. She has also accused the BJP of scripting the Sandeshkhali incident.
The escalating political rivalry between the BJP and TMC is expected to dominate the political discourse in West Bengal in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha election.
