BJP And Trinamool Congress Clash Over Alleged Video In Sandeshkhali Incident

A verbal confrontation ensues between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress over an alleged video implicating a BJP worker in the Sandeshkhali incident. While the BJP dismisses the video as "doctored," the ruling Trinamool Congress accuses the BJP of orchestrating a "conspiracy" to discredit West Bengal amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The video purportedly features Gangadhar Kayal, a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, implicating Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in the Sandeshkhali affair.

Several women had previously lodged complaints and staged protests earlier in the year regarding sexual assault and land grab cases involving now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates. Shahjahan is presently incarcerated for his alleged involvement in an attack on a team from the Enforcement Directorate.

The video claims that several women were paid Rs 2,000 each to file complaints against local Trinamool Congress leaders. However, India Today couldn't independently verify the video's authenticity.

Responding to the video, Suvendu Adhikari dismissed it as "doctored," alleging it was orchestrated by the Trinamool Congress out of desperation due to their anticipated defeat in the elections.

In his complaint to the CBI, Kayal asserted that the video was manipulated and edited, adding that it was uploaded from an unverified YouTube channel owned by someone named 'Williams.'

In a countermove, the Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of masterminding the Sandeshkhali incident to malign Bengal ahead of the elections. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee denounced the BJP's alleged attempts to tarnish Bengal's image for electoral gains.

Abhishek Banerjee alleged that Suvendu Adhikari orchestrated the Sandeshkhali episode to lay the groundwork for imposing Article 355 in Bengal.

Refuting any involvement by the Trinamool Congress in the video, Abhishek Banerjee urged the people of Bengal to assess its authenticity, asserting that independent journalists may have produced it.

He also claimed that Gangadhar Kayal initially confirmed his involvement in the video, but later cited pressure from the BJP top brass to invoke the AI theory.

Abhishek Banerjee condemned the BJP's alleged exploitation of Bengal's women for political advantage.