Amid a political firestorm between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP over claims of sexual assault by aides of a strongman from the ruling party in Sandeshkhali, NDTV spoke to some of the women, who said they are “living in fear”. Conversations with the women revealed that while the allegations of rape may not be true, many were called to the party office at odd hours and were threatened if they refused. Some women also spoke of their husbands being tortured.

NDTV visited Sandeshkhali, an island close to the Indo-Bangladesh border where prohibitory orders have been imposed on all entry points, on Wednesday. While some women who have been protesting against Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan’s aides agreed to speak, none of them wanted to reveal their identity in front of television cameras, fearing reprisal and persecution.

One woman, who participated in the protests earlier, told NDTV, “These incidents must have taken place, otherwise why will the women say these things? You must enquire for yourself. Why else will women come out on the streets and speak out? Are they lying? There must be truth in these statements.”

“We are living in fear. We don’t come out of our homes because of fear,” she added.

Another woman said, “They (Shahjahan’s aides) would call women for meetings or rallies but there was no fixed time. It could be day or night. We would have to go whenever they called and if we didn’t, they would threaten us.”

“Even if we did not want to go, they would force us. They gave us examples of the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme and the free rice scheme. They said Didi (West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee) is feeding you but you still won’t go to meetings? Even if it is at night, you have to go or we will kidnap you, they would say,” another woman claimed.

The women named Sheikh Shahjahan’s aides, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar. While Sardar has been arrested, Hazra is on the run. Shahjahan has also been missing since an Enforcement Directorate team was attacked by a mob during a raid on his house in connection with an alleged ration scam on January 5.

“Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar would call us to the party office even at night on the pretext of holding a meeting,” another woman alleged.

Asked if there have been allegations of sexual assault, the woman said, “They would torture us. They targeted women by picking up their husbands and beating them up with a stick in the party office. If we refused to go to the party office, they would pick up the men and thrash them so we would be forced to go.”

Claims, Counterclaims

Earlier on Wednesday, West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar allegedly suffered injuries during a clash with the police as he attempted to go to Sandeshkhali despite police restrictions and prohibitory orders. He has been admitted to a hospital in Kolkata. Some have claimed Mr Majumdar’s injuries were the result of him falling after climbing atop a police car to protest.

The BJP has alleged that women have been sexually harassed and raped in Sandeshkhali and wanted to visit the area to speak to them.

Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. said, “What happened with BJP state president is being condemned by the whole country. As Leader of Opposition, I condemn the way the state police treated him. We will protest against this on Thursday. Action should be taken against the person whose orders are being followed by the police.”

The Trinamool hit back at the BJP and said the opposition party wants to create trouble as peace is returning to the area. West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja told reporters, “There is a competition between BJP leaders over who is a bigger leader and who can reach Sandeshkhali. Because of this competition, they attempted to reach Sandeshkhali again. They protested on Tuesday as well. Now they say he (Mr Majumdar) has fainted. He has been brought to Kolkata for treatment.”

“We are saying that the situation is returning to normal and the National Women’s Commission visited the area on Wednesday and they are also saying no sexual harassment of women has taken place. What does Sukanta Majumdar want to hear after this,” Mr Panja asked.

In a post on X, the West Bengal Police has also denied any such allegations or complaints and warned against “wilful misinformation” by sections of the media. 

The Supreme Court will today pronounce its verdict on a set of petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme. A five-judge Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, reserved its verdict on November 2 last year. The electoral bonds scheme, introduced by the government on January 2, 2018, was seen as a solution to replace cash donations and enhance transparency in political funding.

Electoral bonds serve as a financial instrument allowing individuals and businesses to contribute funds to political parties discreetly, without revealing their identities. Under the provisions of the scheme, any citizen of India or entity incorporated or established in the country can purchase electoral bonds. These bonds are available in various denominations, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 crore, and can be obtained at all branches of the State Bank of India (SBI). These donations are also interest-free.

One of the key features of electoral bonds is the anonymity they provide to donors. When individuals or organisations purchase these bonds, their identities are not disclosed to the public or the political party receiving the funds. However, the government and the bank maintain a record of the purchaser’s details for auditing purposes, ensuring the legitimacy of funding sources.

Last year, ahead of the Supreme Court’s November hearing, Attorney General R Venkataramani argued that the Constitution does not guarantee citizens an absolute right to information regarding the source of funds used for political party funding through electoral bonds. He said that the electoral bond scheme promotes transparency and clean money in elections. However, Mr Venkataramani maintained that there are limitations to the right to information, and it cannot be an unrestricted right to know “anything and everything.”

“The scheme in question extends the benefit of confidentiality to the contributor. It ensures and promotes clean money being contributed. It ensures abiding by tax obligations. Thus, it does not fall foul of any existing right,” he had said.

Only political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and those securing not less than 1 per cent of the votes in the last Lok Sabha or state legislative assembly elections are eligible to receive electoral bonds. Furthermore, these bonds can only be encashed by eligible political parties through an authorised bank account, as specified in the notification.

In April 2019, the Supreme Court had declined to stay the electoral bonds scheme, stating the need for a comprehensive hearing due to “weighty issues” raised by the Centre and the Election Commission. The current Constitution bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, began hearing arguments on October 31 last year. The petitions included those filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
 

In a brave act, two people were seen tackling the gunman who allegedly opened fire at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally in the US on Thursday. 

In a video now going viral on social media platforms, a couple of Kansas City Chiefs fans were seen pouncing on one of the gunmen, who allegedly killed one person and wounded 21 others in Kansas City, Missouri.

The two fans were caught leaping on the suspected gunman and dragging him to the ground as several shocked fans scrambled to flee to safety after the mass shooting.

In the video, a woman can also be seen picking up a gun after the alleged gunman was caught.

kc citizens tackling one of the shooters. brave people. pic.twitter.com/USLzF9rBbd

— gwyn (taylor’s version) | KC N1🐍 (@gwyn_kl) February 14, 2024

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told a press conference that she was aware of reports that some fans may have participated in the pursuit and capture of at least one of the suspects and that investigators were reviewing video of the incident.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the shooting in Kansas City was the forty-ninth mass shooting in the United States so far this year.

Police said three people have been arrested after the incident, but the motive and circumstances behind the shooting were still under investigation.

At least 22 people were struck by gunfire, one of them fatally, and 15 of the surviving victims suffered life-threatening injuries, Fire Department Chief Ross Grundyson said at the press conference.

The circumstances of the shooting, however, remain unclear, and authorities are still determining the full extent of casualties and age range of the victims.

Around 800 law enforcement officers were at the rally and parade that preceded it, including agents of the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

All of the Chiefs players, coaches, and staff who attended the victory rally were accounted for and safe, the National Football League team said in a statement.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife were also in attendance when shots were fired, but were safe and secure following the incident.

(With agency inputs)