'BJP will probe Sandeshkhali atrocities': Suvendu Adhikari vows to jail Mamata Banerjee if voted to power

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday announced that his party would establish a commission to investigate alleged atrocities in Sandeshkhali and vowed to send Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee to jail if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal.  

Addressing a rally in Sandeshkhali, Adhikari accused Banerjee of framing local women in false cases and using state machinery to suppress dissent. "You [Banerjee] have urged people to forget what happened, but Sandeshkhali will not forget, nor will I. When the BJP forms the government in Bengal, we will set up a commission to investigate the events in Sandeshkhali. You sent innocent women to jail on fabricated charges, and we will ensure you face justice within the bounds of the Constitution," said Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the Bengal assembly.  

The BJP leader’s remarks came a day after Banerjee visited Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district, urging residents to "let bygones be bygones." The chief minister’s visit marked her first to the riverine island since violent protests erupted in February 2024 over allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing by local TMC leaders.  

“I know there was a conspiracy behind the protests, and money played a role. People eventually realised the truth and understood it was all fabricated. Let bygones be bygones—I do not wish to dwell on these matters,” Banerjee had said during her visit.  

Adhikari, however, accused Banerjee of orchestrating false charges against women to silence dissent ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly against local TMC leaders like Shahjahan Sheikh. "We will take lawful revenge with interest," Adhikari declared, alleging that Banerjee’s government targeted protesters to shield TMC strongmen.  

Sandeshkhali became a flashpoint in the BJP-TMC rivalry earlier this year, with the BJP attempting to leverage the alleged atrocities as a key electoral issue in the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, where Sandeshkhali is located. The TMC countered by accusing Adhikari of fabricating the allegations and paying women to implicate its leaders in an effort to tarnish Bengal’s image before the elections. Despite the BJP’s campaign, the TMC retained the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 polls.  

Speaking to reporters after the rally, Adhikari reiterated his pledge to hold Banerjee accountable. "Her goons and the state police have tortured the people. We will ensure she becomes a former chief minister and faces the consequences of her actions," he said.  

The TMC dismissed Adhikari’s claims, asserting that the BJP has little chance of coming to power in West Bengal.