BJP denies association with man held for running sex racket in Bengal
BJP slammed the TMC of deviating from the issue of women's sexual violence in Sandeshkhali and trapping the party in such cases to defame it.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) West Bengal unit on Friday denied its association with Sabyasachi Gosh, the person who has been arrested by the state police on the charges of running a prostitution racket of minor girls in Howrah.

In a press statement, the saffron party said that the person named Sabyasachi Ghosh holds no position in the party. It further slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of deviating from the issue of women's sexual violence in Sandeshkhali and trapping the party in such cases to defame it.
"It has come to our attention that WB Police has arrested one Sabyasachi Ghosh, on charges of running a prostitution racket in Howrah and claims that he is a BJP leader.BJP West Bengal denies having any association with the accused. We wish to put on record that Sabyasachi Ghosh holds no position in the party," the statement read.
"This is yet another desperate attempt by the WB Police to distract from the issue of rape and torture in Sandeshkhali in order to protect Mamata Banerjee. People of West Bengal want to know where is Shahjahan Sheikh? This is only question Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal Police need to answer," it added.
The development comes after the TMC claimed that the state police has arrested a BJP leader named Sabyasachi Ghosh for allegedly running a prostitution racket in Howrah.
TMC further claimed that the police have arrested 11 accused and rescued six minor girls from Howrah's Sankrail, where the alleged sex racket was operating.
"@BJP4Bengal leader Sabyasachi Ghosh caught running a PROSTITUTION RACKET of MINOR GIRLS in his hotel in Howrah's Sankrail. The Police arrested 11 accused & rescued 6 victims from the spot. THIS IS BJP. They don't protect BETIS, they protect PIMPS!," Mamata Banerjee-led party said in a post on X.
According to a senior police official, several girls and women were rescued from the hotel allegedly owned by Ghosh during the raid. When produced before a court, Ghosh and another accused were remanded to seven days’ police custody.
The incident triggered a political row as the TMC accused the BJP of shielding leaders involved in sex racket, while the saffron camp claimed that the ruling party was trying to deflect attention from the incidents of Sandeshkhali.
Meanwhile, the town of Sandeshkhali has been witnessing unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice for allegedly land-grabbing and sexually assaulting" them under coercion by Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides.
Fresh protests erupted on Friday with women hitting the streets and setting ablaze a thatched structure linked to Sheikh Shahjahan, seeking his and his aides’ arrest over allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing.
The police so far have arrested 18 people for their alleged involvement in violent protests. The ED on Friday filed a fresh case against Shahjahan Sheikh and conducted searches at several locations in the state.
Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated with him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam in January this year.
(With inputs from agencies)
