West Bengal: TMC minister claims Sandeshkhali assault allegations are 'fake'

West Bengal minister Partha Bhowmick today claimed that no woman in violence-hit Sandeshkhali had raised the issue of sexual assault by Trinamool Congress members and that the reports about it are "fake".

After visiting the area in North 24 Parganas, Partha Bhowmick told the media, "No woman raised the issue of assault. This is fake and it has been established today."

However, he added that the lands which were illegally grabbed from the locals would be given back to them.

Multiple women in Sandeshkhali have come out and raised allegations of sexual exploitation by Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates. Locals in the area have also accused him of land grabbing.

Shahjahan Sheikh has been absconding after an Enforcement Directorate team which came to conduct a raid on his house was attacked in January.

Partha Bhowmick also responded to the demands to expel Sheikh Shah Jahan and said, "We (TMC) are the party which didn't take any time in removing a big leader like Partha Chatterjee. Why will the same party find it difficult to remove this small leader?"

He also said "those who are bad" have no place in the party.

Partha Bhowmick added that it was a failure of the Enforcement Directorate that Shahjahan Sheikh had not yet been arrested.

"It's not in our hands," said the minister.

Bhowmick visited Sandeshkhali along with minister Sujit Bose, who said the problems of the locals would be solved. In connection with the allegations of land grabbing, Bose said action will be taken against all the culprits.

Both ministers said they would visit Sandeshkhali again.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the CPI(M) led by Minakshi Mukhopadhay was prevented by the police from venturing into interior areas of the area. They were stopped at Majher Para area, where the CPI(M) activists staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the police.