After Friday’s assault by protesters on the TMC leader Ajit Maity, a fresh round of protest erupted in the Bermajur area of Sandeshkhali on Sunday (25th February). Protesters, particularly women, took to the streets demanding the immediate arrest of TMC MLA Ajit Maity who is believed to be a close aide of absconding Sandeshkhali mastermind Sheikh Shahjahan. Protesters have said that Maity was also involved in land grabbing and extortion.
Following the massive protest by locals demanding his arrest, the Trinamool Congress removed Ajit Maity from his post of party’s Anchal President. Pertinent to note that Maity is a TMC MLA from Paschim Medinipur’s Pingla Assembly constituency.
Maity’s removal from the post was also confirmed by West Bengal Minister Partha Bhowmick who is on a visit to violence-hit Sandeshkhali. Responding to a media query, Minister Bhowmick said, “Action will be taken if there is a complaint against anyone. The party is not on the side of those who committed atrocities.” He also added that Ajit Maity has been removed from the post. However, yesterday after his interactions with Sandeshkhali victims, Minister Bhowmick downplayed the allegations. He claimed that the sexual assault allegations made by multiple women in Sandeshkhali are ‘fake’.
Apart from the removal of Ajit Maity, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had earlier attempted to distance itself from Sirajuddin, brother of Sandeshkhali mastermind Sheikh Shahjahan. A day after angry villagers of Sandeshkhali in West Bengal set fire to the property, West Bengal Cabinet Minister Partha Bhowmik said that Sheikh Sirajuddin had been removed as the ‘head of the Panchayat’ a long time ago.
TMC MLA Ajit Maity claims himself to be a victim of TMC’s violence
Meanwhile, in an attempt to defend himself, Ajit Maity claimed innocence of any wrongdoing or being involved in land grabbing.
Regarding aggressive protest against him, the TMC leader said that he was chased by the locals and took shelter in the house of a civic volunteer. Women later protested outside that house.
Maity claimed, “I am innocent. I am scared. I did not know about land grabbing. I am not involved in any scam. I do not know who is involved. Let them face the law. I will accept the punishment as per law. I have not taken any land. Let me be investigated. If I have taken it, I will return it. I have not filed a complaint against 70 people. I have filed a complaint against 5 to 6 people who went to my house on Friday. I don’t know where Siraj is.”
Claiming to be a victim himself, he alleged that he was brought into Trinamool Congress by force. He further claimed, “I used to be BJP. When the region was lost to Trinamool in 2019, they attacked me. It was the Trinamool people who did it. They assaulted and brought me to the ruling party. Shyam Sarkar, Tapas Andi, Kamaluddin Lashkar beat me. Sheikh Shahjahan, Sirajuddin Sheikh, it was the leadership that did it.”
Earlier on Friday (23rd February), TMC leader Ajit Maity was manhandled by protesters at his residence. Protesters targeted his residence, vandalising his motorcycle and accusing him of involvement in the land grab. They also broke through fences and as per the visuals shared by news agency ANI, villagers were seen ransacking his house and beating him with slippers.
The background of the villagers’ protest against TMC leaders
It is pertinent to note that after TMC’s local leader Sheikh Shahjahan went into hiding in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s crackdown on an alleged ration scam, multiple women came forward in his absence, alleging mass land grabbing and systematic or institutionalised rape of Hindu women by Shahjahan, along with his two accomplices, Uttam Sardar and Shibu Prasad Hazra, and their henchmen. While Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra were arrested earlier in this case, Shahjahan is still absconding.
Meanwhile, the real extent of criminal antecedents of TMC local leaders is coming to the fore as more than 700 complaints against Sheikh Shahjahan and others were registered at the Block Development Office in just 6 days.