BJP seeks Mamata Banerjee's statement in woman torture case

Kolkata, Jan 19: BJP on Monday sought Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement on the alleged torture of a woman in Birbhum district even as the party demanded her resignation as the home minister.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha demanded resignation of Banerjee, also the home minister, from her post.

"We want West Bengal Chief Minister to give a statement. It is astonishing that our state has a woman chief minister and yet women in West Bengal are facing torture, and that too from the police force," Sinha said.

Sinha along with new entrant to the party actress Rupa Ganguly today met West Bengal Governor to brief him on the incident.

"We want resignation of our home minister, under whose direction West Bengal is now sitting on a heap of explosives," Sinha said in a letter to the Governor.

Sinha claimed that the police had taken action only after prodding by Governor K N Tripathi.

"Our chief minister Mamata Banerjee feels that whatever she thinks is justice and whatever she speaks is right. That is why Park Street rape incident is termed as a "framed incident," actress Rupa Ganguly said.

A woman, stated to be the relative of a BJP activist wanted by the police in connection with a recent clash, yesterday filed charges of being taken to the police station by the police following a raid at her Ilambazar residence in Birbhum district.

Seikh Sabur, husband of the woman, said in his complaint that the police took away his wife Haitunneshwa Bibi from her parents' house at Kalmadanga village on Saturday night after failing to trace BJP activist Mithun Seikh, named by the ruling TMC in connection with a recent bomb attack on a TMC member at local bus stand.

Bibi, who pleaded ignorance about the whereabouts of her nephew Seikh, was later allowed to leave.

PTI