The debate over the Manipur video, where a woman was stripped naked and touched inappropriately by miscreants, was not over yet, and similar videos came up from West Bengal. Two such incidents have been reported over the past two days. In the viral clip, two tribal women can be seen getting thrashed and stripped by a mob, including women.
The incident is said to have happened on July 19 and was reported in Malda’s Pakua Hat area which falls under the Bamangola Police Station.
In the video, it can be seen that the police were helpless to the cries of the women in need. It can be seen that two of them are being beaten up mercilessly and were traumatized.
According to the media reports, no one has filed an official complaint with the police yet. However, investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators behind the attack.
Sharing the video of the said incident the BJP state IT incharge Amit Malviya wrote on Twitter, “The horror continues in West Bengal. Two Tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in the Pakua Hat area of Bamangola Police Station, Malda. The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The woman belonged to a socially marginalised community and had a frenzied mob baying for her blood…”
“It had all the making of a tragedy that should have broken Mamata Banerjee’s heart and she, instead of merely outraging, could have acted, since she is also the Home Minister of Bengal…” read the Tweet.
The horror continues in West Bengal. Two Tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in Pakua Hat area of Bamangola Police Station, Malda.
The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The women… https://t.co/tyve54vMmg
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 22, 2023
He added further, “But she chose to do nothing. Neither did she condemn the barbarity nor did she express pain and anguish because it would have exposed her own failings as a Chief Minister. But a day after, she shed copious tears and screamed blue murder, because it was politically expedient”.
As of now, no details related to the complaint or FIR, in this case, were received by Organiser.
Just a day before this clip went viral, a similar incident was reported in Howarh, where an election candidate was stripped naked and paraded by the TMC workers. The incident took place on July 8, however, the complaint was lodged by the victim on July 19.
As per the complaint, the woman alleged that she was beaten up by about 40 Trinamool miscreants in the Panchla area of Howrah district when the Panchayat polls in West Bengal were underway.
“I was hit on the chest and head with a stick and I was thrown out of the polling station,” the worker said.
Names of several people including Trinamool candidate Himanta Roy, Noor Alam, Alfi SK, Ranbir Panja Sanju, and Sukmal Panja were also mentioned in the FIR.
According to the officials, the incident happened in Dakshin Panchla under the Panchla police station in Howrah district. After the incident, an FIR (number–230/2023) was filed by the victim at the Panchla police station on July 20.
“On the polling day (July 8, 2023), while the voting was ongoing, the TMC candidate of the same Gram Sabha named Hemanta Roy, and few other TMC supported anti-social elements named Alfi Sk., Sukamal Panja, Ranabir Panja, Sanju Das, Noor Alam and about 40-50 other miscreants physically assaulted me at the polling station. They hit me on my chest, and head with sticks and pushed me out of the polling booth,” read the FIR.
“While some of these men were hitting me, Himanta Roy instigated Ali Sheikh and Sukamal Panja to tear my saree and inner dress. They further assaulted me, forced me to undress and get naked, and molested me in front of other people,” the FIR added.
The woman also alleged that TMC workers tore off her clothes, stripped her naked and paraded her in the entire village.
Notably, Organiser compiled a list of cases that should have drawn the concerns of liberals and intellectuals, other than Manipur. The readers can go through the report here.
