"Women in Sandeshkhali are being threatened with action if they...": Ravi Shankar Prasad

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], June 18 : BJP MP and member of the fact-finding team of post-poll violence in West Bengal, Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday alleged that women in Sandeshkhali are being threatened with action if they file a complaint against anything.
He also alleged that BJP leader Rekha Patra is not allowed to use the hand pump in her village because it was installed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"After coming to Sandeshkhali I have mixed emotions. The strength, the hope, and the will to fight that I saw in the women here are commendable. Our candidate Rekha Patra garnered 4.5 lakh votes, but on the other hand, she is not allowed to use the handpump in her village because it has been installed by Mamata Banerjee... The women here are threatened of action if they file a complaint against anything," Prasad told ANI.
The four-member BJP team, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and party MPs Biplab Kumar Deb, Brij Lal, and Kavita Patidar, arrived in the state on Sunday to assess the situation in the State.
Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fact-finding committee that has been formed to investigate post-poll violence in West Bengal met post-poll violence victims in South 24 Parganas district and listened to their grievances on Tuesday.
The members of the fact-finding committee who interacted with the victims include MLA Agnimitra Paul, former Union minister and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and former Tripura Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb.
Speaking to the accompanying media crew while visiting the shop of a middle-aged woman whose shop was allegedly vandalised by Trinamool Congress goons, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that her only fault is that her son supports the BJP.
"She (victim) belongs to the Dalit community....The only fault of hers is that her son supports BJP. Shame on you. Please stop talking about Constitution. This is too much. I comdemn this. If you have any shame left, immediately reconstruct the roof of her shop. Your goons destroyed her shop," Prasad said.
Biplab Kumar Deb, a member of the fact-finding committee said, " She (victim) fears that TMC goons might come to her place and threaten her for giving statement to the media. What is this rule? This cannot go on."
"The results were announced on June 4. The next day goons broke her shop. Her only fault is that her son was a candidate for the BJP in the panchayat elections," he added.
When the victim declined to narrate her ordeal to the media out of fear that it might put her son in harm's way, Deb said, "Look at your face, Mamata Banerjee. People cannot speak in fear. Her shop through which she makes a living has been demolished but she prefers not to speak in fear that her son may be killed."
Deb dared the TMC to send their goons while the BJP fact-finding team are at her place.
"Send your goons now. We have come. Why are you hiding like thieves now?...They are depriving poor of their rights," he said.
The former Tripura Chief Minister also hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress government saying that they have done nothing for the victim and on top of that, they are depriving her of livelihood by destroying her shop.
"When asked if she has got any benefit from the Trinamool government, she said she has not been given anything. She wants to earn her livelihood and she is not being allowed to do even that," Deb said.
Speaking about police action in this incident, Deb said, "The police has not taken any statement, nor registered any FIR. They haven't taken any action. No one can visit the police station."
Issuing a warning to the police to ensure that the victim does not face any disturbance, Deb said, "We are warning the Inspector of Basanti police station and the SP of South 24 Parganas to ensure that no one should oppress her."
Earlier in the day the BJP fact-finding team met victims of the alleged post-poll violence against party workers in West Bengal at the BJP's party office in Amtala in South 24 Parganas on Tuesday.
The BJP fact-finding committee arrived in Kolkata on Sunday to assess the situation after multiple reports of violence against BJP workers and vandalism of their offices emerged following the declaration of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results. The team visited injured victims at a hospital in Cooch Behar and interacted with them.