A video allegedly from Sandeshkhali protests BJP leader claiming that more than 70 women were given Rs 2,000 each to participate in protests against local TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates, who were accused of sexual assault and land grabbing.

The video, which runs for more than 45 minutes, features a man who appears to be Gangadhar Kayal, the mandal president of Sandeshkhali protest. In this video, he made the statement to the questioner. This is the same Kayal who, in a previous video from a week ago, claimed that the rape accusations were fabricated.

sandeshkhali protest
The Indian Express

Kayal is seen saying, "We will need Rs 2.5 lakh in cash for 50 booths where 30 percent of protesters would be women. We have to keep the SC, ST and OBC people here in good humor by paying them satisfactorily. In any situation, women will form the front row confronting the police.” The authenticity of this video remains questionable.

Controversy Surrounding Sandeshkhali Protest Unveiled

TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta stated, "The truth of the BJP's fake narrative on Sandeshkhali is tumbling out of the closet." Several alleged videos featuring Sandeshkhali protest women have been revealed and disseminated by the TMC in recent days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his rally in Barrackpore said,  “In Sandeshkhali protest, Trinamool has started a new game. Trinamool goons are threatening Sandeshkhali women to help the accused Shahjahan Sheikh. Trinamool is hell bent on giving clean chit to Sheikh." 

The initial video, which surfaced on May 4th, captured Kayal stating that the protests were orchestrated by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and labeled them as "staged." He alleged that Adhikari was the mastermind behind the entire scheme.

Sandeshkhali protest
Source: Quora

The second video featured women who had previously filed rape complaints, asserting that they were pressured by BJP leaders to sign a blank paper and were forced to visit the police station.

In a separate video, Rekha Patra, a BJP candidate from Basirhat constituency and participant in the Sandeshkhali protests, stated that she is unaware of the rape survivors who were taken to Delhi to meet the President.

The TMC has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Rekha Sharma, the chairperson of the National Commission for Women, accusing her of misusing her official position. They allege that Sharma urged some women in Sandeshkhali to file rape complaints against TMC leaders in the region.

Sandeshkhali protest

The BJP state spokesperson, Samik Bhattacharya, dismissed all the released videos as fake and manipulated and said, “the TMC is using fake videos to change the narrative ahead of the polls. The TMC has the least regard for NCW or the dignity of the women of Sandeshkhali. All the videos released are fake and doctored.”

The region of Sandeshkhali, located on the edges of the Sundarbans and approximately 100 kilometers from Kolkata, was embroiled in turmoil back in February. This unrest stemmed from protests regarding accusations of sexual abuse and land encroachment involving Shajahan Sheikh, a TMC leader who has since been arrested, and his associates.

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