‘Ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’: West Bengal CM draws ire over viral video of man whipping couple in public

A West Bengal couple was assaulted by a local leader for allegedly engaging in an illicit relationship. The video of the assault has gone viral and sparked controversy, with opposition leaders blaming the Mamata Banerjee government for the incident. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell head Amit Malviya called the attack the “ugly face of Mamata Banerjee's rule” in the state.

As the controversy grew, West Bengal police registered a case after verifying the viral video clip on social media, reported PTI, citing Islampur Police Superintendent Joby Thomas K.

"We have initiated raids to arrest the culprit and will investigate the reason behind the act promptly," PTI quoted Thomas. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP and CPI (M) are attacking the Banerjee government and accusing TMC's involvement in the incident.

‘Bulldozer justice’ under CM Banerjee's rule

The opposition accused West Bengal CM of executing “bulldozer justice” in the state. According to a PTI report, the man who beat the couple with a bamboo stick was reported to be a local TMC leader of Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, where the incident occurred following a decision of a 'salishi sabha' (Kangaroo court).

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya alleged the man visible in the viral video to be a TMC leader who is famous for “giving quick justice through insaf sabha”

"This is the ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal. The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly... is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman," BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

Recalling the incident of sexual assault of several women in Bengal's Sandeshkhali village, Malviya called Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a "curse for women".

"There is no semblance of law and order in Bengal. Will Mamata Banerjee act against this monster or defend him like she stood up for Sheikh Shahjahan?" Malviya said in the post.

Shahjahan is an arrested TMC functionary of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, where allegations of sexual abuse and land grab have been levelled against Trinamool Congress leaders.

Attacking the Mamata Banerjee government, CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said in a post on X: "Not even #KangarooCourt! Summary trial and punishment handed out by d ⁦@AITCofficial⁩ goon... Literally bulldozer justice at Chopra under ⁦@MamataOfficial⁩ rule."

Amid the controversy, local TMC MLA Hamidur Rahman has denied of any connection with the incident. Apart from the BJP and TMC, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also condemned the attack and said that such incidents have grown common in West Bengal.

“How can a woman be beaten up in this way? Attack on any woman is barbaric and deplorable,” questioned the senior Congress leader adding that such incidents “are giving a bad name to West Bengal.”