Union home minister Amit Shah has asked the Bengal BJP leadership to submit to him a detailed report on the Sandeshkhali "sting operation" amid allegations from the Trinamool Congress that the saffron camp orchestrated the complaints of sexual crimes on the North 24-Parganas island.
According to BJP sources, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari are set to meet Shah upon his arrival in Durgapur around 10pm on Sunday. Shah, who initially planned to conduct an organisational meeting on Sunday night ahead of his twin rallies on Monday, has postponed the session, indicating the BJP's prioritisation of formulating a strategy to counter the charges.
The central leadership of the BJP has directed all party members and functionaries to refrain from loosely commenting in public and to downplay the video.
Majumdar said: “This is a very small incident. The video is not a matter at all. When 600 to 700 women are lodging formal complaints, do you think an individual's statement holds any significance?”
Majumdar, without denying the authenticity of the video, said: “(Former Sandeshkhali strongman) Sheikh Shahjahan purchased weapons from outside and kept them buried underground. There were incidents of land-grabbing and sexual assaults. These are facts and it is expected that Abhishek Banerjee will stand beside this kind of a man.”
Although the BJP is trying its best to play down the purported video, at least for the time being, many senior leaders are of the opinion that the video had put the saffron camp in an uneasy situation.
“The incident in Sandeshkhali has gained attention nationwide. Now, Trinamool wants to elevate this issue to a national level and so, it could have an impact on the overall image of the party,” a BJP leader said on the condition of anonymity.