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BJP candidate stripped, paraded naked on poll day in WB’s Howrah, says party MP
Police, however, said that they received a complaint from a woman via email on July 13. A day later a FIR was lodged but until now no evidence has been found to support the allegations
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP candidate was allegedly stripped, groped and paraded naked at Panchla in West Bengal’s (BJP) Howrah on July 8 when panchayat elections were being held, the party has alleged.
“On July 8 when panchayat polls were being held in the state, a BJP woman candidate for the ‘gram sabha’ was stripped, groped and paraded naked inside the booth. A FIR has been lodged,” Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP, said while addressing a press conference on Friday.
Police, however, said that they received a complaint from a woman via email on July 13. A day later a FIR was lodged but until now no evidence has been found to support the allegations.
“Till date we haven’t found any evidence. There are no witnesses. There were state police and central forces. Police approached the woman and her husband to give s statement in the court under. But they didn’t. They woman stated in her complaint that she was assaulted and suffered injuries. But till date she couldn’t produce documents of her treatment,” Manoj Malaviya, director general of West Bengal Police, said.
No one took a video of the incident, Malaviya said.
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“The central forces, which were deployed on the orders of the Calcutta high court also didn’t lodge any complaint. CCTV footages of nearby areas didn’t have any such footages. We are procuring the CCTV footages inside the booth,” he added.
Banerjee alleged that in another incident at Domjur in Howrah where a woman was molested at gunpoint at the counting centre on July 11. The complaint was lodged with the police on July 19.
“Another complaint filed by a woman candidate of BJP, in Howrah’s Domjur… She was groped and assaulted, by TMC candidate and his agents, inside the counting center on 11th Jul 2023. (Chief minister) Mamata Banerjee’s police is still to file a FIR. These are not isolated instances of crimes against women in Bengal,” tweeted Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT head.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) hit back saying that the BJP was making up a story to counter the Manipur incident.
“They (BJP) are shameless. How come the incident took place on polling day inside a booth and no media reported it and there are no videos available on social media. They are making up story to counter the Manipur incident,” Santanu Sen, TMC MP, told the media.
