BJP spreading canards about Sandeshkhali; Bengal safest state for women: Mamata

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the ''storm of Sandeshkhali' will decimate TMC in West Bengal'', state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit back accusing the BJP of spreading canards about Sandeshkhali incidents while asserting that the state is the safest place in the country for women.

Banerjee also criticised the prime minister for ''lecturing'' the state government on women's security, alleging that he remains silent when women are tortured in BJP-ruled states.

Obliquely referring to former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay who officially joined the BJP during the day, she said, ''We will ensure your defeat no matter where you contest in the Lok Sabha polls from.''.

Addressing people after leading a rally in Kolkata for women's rights, she said, ''Many have given fake sandesh (message) on Sandeshkhali. The way a few incidents were shown is reprehensible.

''Some incidents may have happened and they have not reached us. But when we get to know something, we take immediate action. I don't even hesitate to arrest TMC workers when they are at fault.'' The Trinamool rally, which kick-started the party's poll campaign in the state, was also attended by over 200 women from the restive Sandeshkhali area, some 15 of whom shared the stage with Banerjee at its culmination point in central Kolkata.

The rally, themed 'Mahila Der Adhikaar, Aamader Angikaar' (women's rights are our commitment), was organised by the TMC a day ahead of International Women's Day.

Clad in her trademark white cotton sari and a shawl wrapped around her neck, Banerjee was seen greeting people and onlookers on both sides of the road with folded hands while walking the four-kilometre stretch from College Square to Esplanade.

Repeating the Prime Minister's gesture of interacting with the tormented women of Sandeshkhali and lending an ear to their woes during his Barasat rally on Wednesday, the Trinamool supremo, too, spoke to the women of that region present on stage.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen told PTI, ''The women happily posed for a group photo with her.'' The women expressed their ''unwavering support'' to the TMC and endorsed Banerjee's stance against those accused of wrongdoing and atrocities in past years, she said, adding, ''They commended Banerjee's initiatives in Sandeshkhali and said the situation there was currently peaceful.'' Earlier in the day, a contingent of the BJP's Mahila Morcha, led by party state general secretaries Agnimitra Paul and Locket Chatterjee, was stopped by the West Bengal Police at New Town on the outskirts of Kolkata from heading towards Sandeshkhali.

Following a scuffle and a bitter war of words with the police, the team was primarily detained at the local police station and later arrested, even as workers of the party's women's wing were seen holding a sit-in protest demonstration before the New Town PS.

The leaders, including former IPS Bharati Ghosh, national spokesperson and Falguni Patra, state Mahila Morcha president, were released after a detention of about five hours.

Speaking at the rally, Banerjee hit out at the former Calcutta High Court judge for ''taking away jobs of thousands of youths'' across the state by his judgments.

''I am happy that your mask has now come off. All your judgments are now under question. You joined the BJP while sitting in a judge's chair. From tomorrow onwards, the people will judge you. I will take students and youths to the place you contest from and ensure you are defeated.'' ''You passed one-sided orders without allowing us the opportunity to rectify the honest mistakes, if there were any,'' Banerjee lashed out at former Justice Gangopadhyay.

Stating that the state government has five lakh jobs ready for the state's youths which are kept on hold, the TMC chief said, ''The moment I announce the vacancy, the envious trio of BJP, CPM and Congress will move court and file a PIL.'' Banerjee, while announcing that the party would contest from two seats from Assam in the upcoming polls, claimed that the BJP is angry with the TMC since the latter resists divisive politics in Bengal.

''Pinto Babu ka gussa kyon aata hai (Why is Pinto babu angry)? I refer to the BJP as Pinto babu. They sent over 450 teams to Bengal but none to Manipur where women were assaulted and paraded naked,'' she said.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also participated in the rally. He later separately interacted with representatives of Sandeshkhali women who walked alongside the party leaders.

What looked like a tit-for-tat gesture to TMC MLA Tapas Roy jumping ship to the BJP on Wednesday, disgruntled Ranaghat Dakshin MLA of the BJP, Mukut Mani Adhikari, switched over to the TMC on Thursday and took part in the rally.

''I think TMC is the only platform where you can work for the masses. So I decided to join the TMC,'' he said.

Since the 2021 assembly polls, seven MLAs who won with BJP tickets have defected to the TMC but are yet to resign as MLAs.