"Dragged me outside booth, ripped my clothes": West Bengal BJP worker claims sexual assault
Jul 21, 2023
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 21 : Amid Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) calls for action against alleged sexual assault on a party worker by Trinamool Congress (TMC), a BJP worker from Howrah's South Panchala in West Bengal on Friday claimed that she was dragged outside the polling booth and her clothes were ripped off adding that she has filed an FIR in the incident.
"They (Trinamool Congress workers) dragged me outside the polling booth holding my hair and threw me down the stairs. They also ripped my clothes. Later, I went to a nearby house to borrow clothes to wear. Had my husband not been present there, they could have done anything to me. He saved me. I have filed an FIR in this incident," the BJP worker said.
West Bengal DGP Manoj Malviya, however, earlier today said that the police investigated the incident but no evidence was found about the alleged incident
“Howrah Panchla incident is in the news… An email was received on July 13. As per the email, it was alleged that on July 8, the victim was forcibly pulled out of the polling booth, her clothes were torn… That was only through the mail. Police then asked them to file FIR. We investigated and found this alleged incident has no evidence or proof,” DGP Manoj Malviya said.
The DGP further said that the police, central forces and even the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly had visited the place on July 8, where the polling was taking place, but no one said anything about the alleged incident.
"On July 8, there were police and central forces in the booth and many people came to vote, but no one said such an incident happened. Even the LOP had visited that place and the fact-finding team visited once, but no one said about this incident. Though we reached out to the complainant and her husband and called her for a medical examination they have not given anything. If this kind of incident had happened the police would have taken action. This is a digital era and everyone records if anything happens", the DGP added.
BJP MP from West Bengal’s Hooghly Locket Chatterjee broke down on Friday while recounting an alleged incident of sexual assault of a BJP candidate during Bengal panchayat polls.
MP Chatterjee was addressing a press briefing along with West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar in connection with a viral video of Manipur, purportedly showing two women being paraded in the nude.
