tmc-will-use-sandeskhali-sting-video-to-give-clean-chit-to-shahjahan-wb-bjp-chief

The so-called 'sting' video on a BJP mandal president saying his party's Suvendu Adhikari was behind the Sandeshkhali 'conspiracy' was an attempt by West Bengal's TMC government to "suppress the truth," state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has alleged.

The timing of the video release was questionable. It will be used by TMC to clear the name of its suspended leader Shajahan Sheikh, Majumdar said.

"Why was the sting operation conducted at a time when the election was underway?"

TMC wanted to suppress the truth of Sandeshkhali.  "But, it'll not be that easy to fool the people of West Bengal. They are politically mature enough to understand why the video was published at this time," Majumdar told reporters on Monday, according to PTI.

The TMC on Saturday shared the viral video on social media, in which a man, his face in shadows, claiming to be the BJP mandal president was heard saying that leader of the opposition "Suvendu Adhikari was behind the whole conspiracy".

Majumdar said the video was "fake", and that he suspected artificial intelligence (AI) was used in making it.

"Our leader Gangadhar Kayal (BJP mandal president) has denied he was in the tape. And soon after the video was out, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said his party should have thought twice before suspending Shajahan Sheikh," Majumdar claimed.

"Now this video will be used to give a clean chit to Shajahan. It will be used to clear his involvement in the cases of sexual abuse and land grabbing," he added.

Majumdar, the MP of Balurghat, said 600-700 people from Sandeshkhali have filed complaints.

"Why should we accept only one person's version discarding the claims of this huge number of people," he asked.

He also alleged that whenever there was an incident of rape, TMC leaders cast aspersions on the victim's character.

"Why has the CM not gone to Sandeshkhali? I challenge her to go there, and we will show her how the plots were turned into fish farms under Shajahan's leadership. We have also seen the central agencies unearthing arms and ammunition from a house there," he said.