KOLKATA: A stream of videos going viral in West Bengal is exposing the sordid underbelly of violence that accompanies the Trinamool Congress’ electoral success in the state.
In recent months, multiple videos have gone viral on social media, revealing the disturbing extent of violence in West Bengal. These videos, often graphic and alarming, have brought to light the underbelly of political unrest in the state.
From Sandeshkhali to more recently in Chopra and Ariadaha, the videos show in chilling detail the free run that criminals enjoy in Bengal.
“All the persons seen in the videos are active Trinamool workers and leaders,” alleges Rahul Sinha, former BJP state president. “They indulge in all sorts of violence during and after the elections and the police and the administration do nothing to rein them in.”
The continued electoral success of the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly by-polls has also boosted the confidence of these musclemen, say senior police officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“The run of good performances is helping the Trinamool Congress to claim popular support. This is also a good cover-up for the wave of violence that some in its party cadre are indulging in all over the state,” says veteran journalist Suman Chattopadhyay, referring to the multiple videos of Trinamool Congress strongmen assaulting ordinary men and women which surfaced from different parts of West Bengal in the past 10 days.
“First, it was Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, then Tajemul Islam in Chopra. The latest is Jayant Singh of Ariadaha, which is within Kolkata city. The Trinamool’s assets are these criminals who literally browbeat the Opposition before and during elections and then indulge in all kinds of illegalities under the benign protection of Mamata Banerjee and her police,” alleges Md. Selim, the veteran CPIM leader.
“The TMC banks heavily on these characters who run their fiefdoms under her protection. Anubrata Mandal in Birbhum, Showkat in Diamond Harbour, Shahjahan, Jahangir… the list is endless. Each area has been divided and allocated. These goons do as they please. The only return is that they deliver the votes for Mamata Banerjee’s party,” says Abhijit Das, who contested and lost to Trinamool Congress second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee in Diamond Harbour constituency. TMC spokespersons deny any connection between such elements and TMC victories, which they attribute to “Didi’s popularity with the people”.
Last month, a Muslim woman, who was a BJP Minority Morcha leader in Cooch Behar district in north Bengal, was assaulted, disrobed and paraded allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters on 25 June.
In another incident, hours after the video of a Trinamool Congress leader Tajemul Haque alias JCB publicly flogging a woman in Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal went viral, Trinamool Congress MLA Hamidul Rehman justified Tajemul beating the woman, who was crying in pain. The video shows a large crowd watching Tajemul hitting the woman and a man with the stick. The attack followed a decision by a kangaroo court.
“In our Muslim rashtra (nation), there are certain rules of conduct and punishment. But it became a little extreme this time. That is why we are now reprimanding the villagers,” the MLA said. He added that it was a “village matter” and had nothing to do with the party. “We condemn the incident. But the woman also did wrong. She left her husband, son, and daughter and became an evil beast. There is some code of justice according to a Muslim rashtra. However, we do agree that what happened was a bit extreme. Now, legal action will be taken in this case,” the Trinamool MLA told reporters.
The MLA’s words set off a fierce political row in Bengal and in New Delhi, even as another viral video emerged of similar atrocities on a couple by Tajemul recorded on 16 June. Bharatiya Janata Party state President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the video signals the Trinamool’s trajectory towards establishing what he termed a governance model akin to some laws followed in other countries, this time in West Bengal. Such charges are denied repeatedly by TMC leaders.
On Thursday, the police arrested the latest Trinamool strongman to hit the headlines—Jayant Singh of Taltala in Ariadaha in North Kolkata. In a spine-chilling viral video, Jayant’s aides were seen holding a person and thrashing with wickets.
After the video of the thrashing got considerable traction on social media, the police drew up a case suo motu against the Trinamool strongman and his aides and Jayant surrendered after three days.
Since his arrest, several crimes allegedly involving Jayant and his men, such as filling a pond, forcibly acquiring land, threatening small businessmen and beating up those opposing him, have surfaced across Kamarhati, around 14 km north from the heart of Kolkata. Ariadaha Taltala Sporting Club was Jayant’s fief, where he would meet his aides, alleged residents of apartments above the ground-floor club.
“Sometime between February and March 2021, a resident of Ward 8 of Kamarhati Municipality realised that his mobile phone was missing. Some people suspected that the man and his wife had stolen it,” said a senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate. “They were taken to the club and thrashed by Jayant’s aides, as a video purportedly reveals.”
The video came to light after Jayant Singh and his men beat up a young man and his mother.
Like in Sandeshkhali, where the women, unable to bear the torture by Sheikh Shahjahan and his men, rose in revolt, some residents of Ariadaha turned up in front of the club, which was locked, and destroyed the decor outside.
“The police have sealed the club. But the club should be removed so the Jayant and his men can never meet there after they are out on bail,” said Rupali Das, an Ariadaha resident.
The outcry over the torture by Jayant Singh led to the revelation of close connection with senior Trinamool Congress leaders. Videos and pictures of Jayant Singh being felicitated by senior TMC MLA and former state minister Madan Mitra’s son and daughter-in-law, who is a municipal councillor, surfaced on social media. Pictures of Jayant Singh and Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy engrossed in discussions also surfaced.
Both Roy and Mitra told the media that they hardly knew the strongman. Another senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh tried to distance the party from the criminals. “The police should first break their arms and legs before arresting these criminals. The Trinamool Congress has a zero-tolerance policy towards people like Jayant Singh,” he proclaimed before journalists.
A few days ago, Saugata Roy, the Trinamool MP, alleged that he had received calls threatening to shoot him if Jayant was not set free. “The calls came from two numbers. I’ve given the numbers to the police,” Roy said. Madan Mitra too made similar claims.
The West Bengal Government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued statements condemning the violence, and promising swift action against those responsible.