“Save our daughters…,” BJP MP Locket Chatterjee breaks down

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from West Bengal’s Hooghly Locket Chatterjee broke down on Friday while recounting an alleged incident of sexual assault of a BJP candidate during Bengal panchayat polls. The BJP has claimed that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers were behind this incident.

MP Chatterjee was addressing a press briefing along with West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar in connection with a viral video of Manipur, purportedly showing two women being paraded in the nude.

“We are also women. We also want our daughters to be saved… We are also India’s daughters. West Bengal is also part of this country. Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on incidents of assault against women in Manipur. He not only spoke for the daughters in Manipur but for daughters across the country,” Chatterjee said.

“He said that the law and order in all states should be made strict to protect our daughters. Not just daughters of Manipur but daughters all over the country. So I urge you all to speak up for us also. Where will our daughters go for justice? There were incidents of violence against our daughters during the recent panchayat polls”, MP Chatterjee said during the press briefing.

Speaking to mediapersons before the Parliament went into session on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his heart was filled with sorrow and anger over the incident in Manipur. “What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” PM Modi had said.

Meanwhile, addressing a presser, Chatterjee broke down in tears as she recounted an alleged incident of sexual assault by TMC workers of a BJP candidate during Panchayat polls on July 8 in Howrah district of West Bengal.

West Bengal DGP Manoj Malviya, however, said that the police investigated the incident but no evidence was found of the alleged incident.

#WATCH | BJP MP Locket Chatterjee breaks down as she recounts an alleged incident of sexual assault by TMC workers of a BJP candidate during Panchayat polls on 8th July in Howrah district of West Bengal pic.twitter.com/45VdDGqDXi

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023

“Howrah Panchla incident is in news… An email was received on July 13. As per the email, it was alleged that on July 8, the victim was forcibly pulled out of the polling booth, her clothes were torn… That was only through the mail. Police then asked them to FIR. We investigated and found this alleged incident has no evidence or proof found,” DGP Manoj Malviya said.

The DGP further said that the police, central forces and even the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly had visited the place on July 8, where the polling was taking place, but no one said anything about the alleged incident.

“On July 8, there were police and central forces in the booth and also there were many people who came to vote, but no one said such an incident happened. Even the LOP had visited that place and the fact-finding team visited once, but no one said about this incident. Though we reached out to the complainant and her husband and called her for a medical examination they have not given anything. If this kind of incident had happened the police would have taken action. This is a digital era and everyone records if anything happens”, the DGP added.