West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to visit Sandeshkhali on Monday for the first time since allegations of sexual harassment and land grabbing by local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders surfaced earlier this year.
Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna last week, the TMC supremo said her visit to the riverine island in the Sundarbans is aimed at distributing benefits under state government schemes and addressing the concerns of locals.
“This will be a government programme,” Banerjee said. “We have completed several pending programmes under 'Lakshmir Bhandar,' 'Banglar Bari,' and other schemes. Around 20,000 beneficiaries of the area will be benefitted from various state-run schemes. I hope to hand over certificates of various schemes to around 100 people from the stage.”
Banerjee also clarified that the visit was planned as part of a commitment made before the Lok Sabha elections.
“People had asked me before the elections whether I would visit Sandeshkhali or not. I had told them that I would be going later,” she said.
Meanwhile, BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has announced a counter-event in the area. The sexual harassment and land grab controversy in Sandeshkhali was a political flashpoint between the BJP and the ruling TMC.
Adhikari's programme is scheduled for the day after Banerjee’s visit. According to a statement, he will lead a 'Jana Sanjog Yatra' to connect with local residents and highlight the BJP's vision for the region.
In January, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged when they attempted to raid the residence of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali while probing a multi-crore ration distribution scam.
Following the incident, several women in the area alleged that Shahjahan and his associates had seized land and sexually harassed them. These allegations led to increased demands from the opposition for Shahjahan's immediate arrest, with the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress accusing the TMC administration of protecting him.
A defiant Banerjee claimed that the incident was a conspiracy by the BJP, the ED, and the media. Shahjahan was eventually arrested after a 55-day manhunt and was suspended by the TMC.
Despite the massive protests, the BJP failed to win the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, which includes Sandeshkhali, as Trinamool veteran Haji Nurul Islam defeated the saffron party's candidate, Rekha Patra, by a comfortable margin.
