In a shocking incident, a woman in West Bengal’s Nandigram town was allegedly stripped naked and paraded for approximately 300 meters by local Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) workers.
The disturbing incident reportedly unfolded on the night of Sunday, August 16 when a group of 30 to 40 people allegedly affiliated with the BJP, stromed into the victim’s home. The woman who was alone with her children at the time was brutally assaulted and dragged through the streets.
The woman while recounting the ordeal alleged that the attackers attempted to kill her, fleeing only when the police arrived on the scene.
As per the media reports, the woman’s family had recently switched allegiance from the BJP to the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). “I used to be with the BJP, but recently joined the TMC, which is why I was attacked,” the victim stated reported by The Wire.
Following the attack, the police based on a woman’s complaint arrested six people including a local BJP booth president, Tapas Das.
The ruling party TMC condemned the act, terming it as political retribution for the family shift in allegiance. The party leaders have reportedly arranged for her to be taken to Kolkata for medical care.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of committing violence against those who oppose the BJP in the region. “We visited the hospital and heard from the victim how BJP workers tortured her. There are no words to condemn this,” he added.
The BJP, however, has attempted to downplay the political implications, claiming that the incident is a result of a personal dispute rather than a politically motivated attack. The local BJP leaders have also claimed that the individuals involved in the incident are not official party members and accused the incident is being exploited by the TMC for political benefits.
The incident has heightened fear in Nandigram, a region known as a BJP stronghold and political volatility.
