BJP demands CBI probe into torture of woman party leader in CoochBehar

Kolkata: BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged incident of stripping and physical torture of a woman leader of the saffron party in West Bengal's Coochbehar district, accusing police of inaction against the real perpetrators.

Paul, who led a BJP delegation to the Mathabhanga area of the district, claimed that the woman, president of the local unit's minority morcha, was beaten and stripped by TMC miscreants on June 25 while she was grazing cattle in the field.

"Under the regime of a woman chief minister, a woman representing the mothers, sisters, and the minority community of Bengal was beaten, stripped, and verbally abused in public by a local TMC leader and his associates.

"Police and the government are turning a blind eye to such blatant violence against a woman. We have no faith in this administration. We demand a CBI probe," she said.

Paul and other BJP leaders briefly blocked the road in Choupti near the police lines and later met Additional SP and the woman involved.

However, a police officer said the incident appeared to be a domestic dispute, and seven out of the ten persons named in the FIR have been arrested. The remaining three will be apprehended soon, he added.

TMC spokesperson Partha Pratim Roy countered BJP's claims, stating that they were politicising a family dispute following their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Coochbehar.

BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government was diverting attention from the incident by suddenly highlighting issues like hawkers encroaching on pavements.

"I have personally spoken to the traumatised woman. She is experiencing pain in her head. We are arranging for her treatment in Kolkata," Majumdar told reporters.

Another TMC spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya told PTI that BJP was trying to politicise every minor incident to disrupt peace in Bengal after their electoral defeat and discredit the state government. "They are making baseless allegations. In every unfortunate incident, police take action and apprehend the culprits. However, these people do not belong to our party," he added.