BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, during a press conference on the Bengal Panchayat election violence, broke down on camera and said that like Manipur, shameful violence took place against the daughters of West Bengal during the panchayat polls, though there was no video to prove it. "We are also women. We also want, we also want to...save our daughters, we are nation's daughter too, Manipur women are nation's daughter too. West Bengal is not outside, West Bengal is part of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the Manipur incident yesterday and spoke for all the states and all daughters. PM said that law and order should be strong in all the states, not only (for) Manipur's daughter, (for) country's daughter. We want you to talk for our daughters too. Where will our daughters go?"
Watch: BJP MP Locket Chatterjee breaks down speaking at the press conference.
Attacks Congress for supporting TMC
Attacking the Congress for "supporting" TMC, Locket Chatterjee said, "Congress has also joined Mamta Banerjee now. That is why both Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are silent. These people cry in other states, but they are silent in West Bengal."
Violence against women in Bengal during panchayat election
"Manipur incident is highly unfortunate, we condemn it. But what has happened in West Bengal is equally shameful. The Elections held in West Bengal have not been 'Panchayat Elections' but 'Khoon Ka Chunaav'. These elections were nothing but a shameful phase of violence and atrocities against women," said Locket Chatterjee.
"In a single day, two women were paraded naked at Alipore Gate and Birbhum in Bengal. But the way the honor of women is being played with in West Bengal is very worrying," said BJP WB President Sukanta Majumdar.
Mamata attacks BJP over Manipur
Meanwhile, continuing her tirade against the Centre over the Manipur crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the BJP's 'Beti Bachao' scheme has now turned into 'Beti Jalao' (Burn our daughters). The TMC boss wondered why the Centre never bothered to send central teams to Manipur, where ethnic strife has claimed over 160 lives so far.
"We want to express our solidarity with Manipur. The BJP had sent so many central teams to Bengal (after the panchayat polls), why no central team was sent to the northeastern state?" she questioned. Addressing the party's annual Martyrs' Day rally here, Banerjee expressed her solidarity with the newly formed opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A and asserted that their mission is to remove the saffron camp from power. She warned that the return of the BJP government would signal the demise of democracy.
Manipur violence
The state of Manipur has seen violence since May 3 after conflict broke out between the Meitei and Kuki community members. Widespread violence and arson has been reported from the state ever since the ethnic conflicts broke out. However, the May 4 video showing sexual violence and humiliation of the Kuki women paraded naked in Kangpokpi has sent shockwaves across the country.
