BJP leader Agnimitra Paul challenges Mamata Banerjee to prove allegations against Adhikari's Khalistani remark

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 21 : Amidst the ongoing unrest in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul on Wednesday challenged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to provide a prove over the alleged remark of BJP's LoP Suvendu Adhikari hurling a 'Khalistani' jibe at a Sikh IPS officer.
Paul said that 24 hours have passed and until now, the Chief Minister is not able to prove the false allegations against the BJP leader.
"Mamata Banerjee is now trying to deviate from the matter by creating a sensation. Again I'm challenging her, if you have the guts, 24 hours have passed and you still have not provided the video. She is furnishing false allegations against us which she still hasn't been able to prove," Paul said.
Launching a scathing attack at Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar over his visit to Sandeshkhali on Wednesday, Paul said that he was the one who said there was no complaint before February 6 and it was the police who said the victim women to do a mutual settlement with Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons.
DGP Rajeev Kumar on Wednesday afternoon arrived in Sandeshkhali to take stock of the situation.
Reacting to this, the BJP leader said, "DGP Rajiv Kumar said there was no complaint before 6th February. Why is he suddenly rushing to Sandeshkhali to gather footage from the press? It is as if the police of the state are so much concerned for the women of Sandeshkhali. It was you who said nothing happened before Feb 6. How will this happen? when the women of Sandeshkhali went to the police for help and to file a case, Mamata's police would tell them to go and do a mutual settlement with Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons."
"How do you think that the women of Sandeshkhali would have the guts to go and give an FIR? You all didn't do anything," she added.
Hitting out at TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh for asking the victim women to uncover their faces in front of the media, the BJP leader said that Ghosh doesn't even know how to respect a woman.
"Even yesterday during a TV debate with four women panellists, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said all their complaints are fake. He asked the victims of Sandeshkhali to uncover their faces in front of the media and said that when they were protesting on the roads of Sandeshkhali, they didn't have their faces covered and today they are covering their faces. What a shame, the TMC spokesperson doesn't even know how to respect a woman," Paul said.
The BJP leader also alleged that the TMC spokesperson had called her 'shameless' adding that this is the true face of Trinamool.
"Kunal Ghosh called me 'Nirlajj Behaya', like I'm shameless. This is the true face of TMC. We are ashamed that we have a woman Chief Minister and this Chief Minister doesn't know how to respect a woman, and it shows how they are treating the Sandeshkhali women. They cannot even respect a woman MLA so you can only imagine what the women of Bengal are going through," Paul said.
"I'm not really bothered about what he called me but I'm bothered about the women of Sandeshkhali," she added.
West Bengal police on Tuesday claimed that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hurled a 'Khalistani' slur at a Sikh police officer.
In a series of posts on 'X', the West Bengal Police expressed outrage and labelled the comment by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari as malicious, racial, communally inciting and a criminal act.
The police condemned the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and added that stern legal action is being initiated.
"We, the West Bengal Police fraternity, are outraged to share this video, where one of our own officers was called 'Khalistani' by the state's Leader of the Opposition. His 'fault': he is both a proud Sikh, and a capable police officer who was trying to enforce the law...This comment is as much malicious and racial as it is communally inciting. It is a criminal act. We unequivocally condemn the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and beliefs aimed to incite people to take to violence and break the law... Stern legal action is being initiated," the police said in a series of posts on 'X'.
Meanwhile, this incident has elicited a strong reaction from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said that BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries.
"Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per BJP every person wearing a TURBAN is a KHALISTANI. I VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN this audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of our SIKH BROTHERS & SISTERS, revered for their SACRIFICES and UNWAVERING DETERMINATION to our nation. We stand firm in protecting Bengal's social harmony and will take stern lawful measures to prevent any attempts to disrupt it," she said in a post on 'X'.
According to ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, the incident took place when a police force was deployed to enforce Section 144 in Dhamakhali this morning. The force was led by IPS Jaspeet Singh, SSP Intelligence Branch. Several MLAs, including West Bengal Opposition Leader Subhendu Adhikari, were present in Dhamakhali (and were on their way to Sandeshkhali). During an altercation with a police officer, Subhendu Adhikari referred to the officer as a Khalisthani.
"As you all know we had a police force to enforce section 144 in Dhamakhali this morning. It was headed by IPS Jaspeet Singh, SSP Intelligence Branch. There are several MLAs including West Bengal Opposition Leader Subhendu Adhikari in Dhamakhali. There was an altercation with the police officer during which Subhendu Adhikari called the police officer a Khalisthani, which is never befitting of a political leader. We strongly protest against it. We will take legal action against him for this serious comment," ADG Sarkar said.
The Sandeshkhali area has been witnessing unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.