Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik has criticized the West Bengal government's handling of the Sandeshkhali incident. Pramanik accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's administration of failing to apprehend Sheikh Shahjahan, an alleged perpetrator of atrocities against women in the area.
Pramanik offered the assistance of the central government in capturing Shahjahan, claiming that its forces could locate and detain him within an hour. He expressed dismay over the government's apparent disregard for law and order, as evidenced by the arrest of a fact-finding team attempting to investigate the incident.
In a separate development, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has requested an immediate report from the Director General of Police regarding the arrest of six members of the fact-finding committee. The team, led by former Patna High Court Chief Justice Narsimha Reddy, was detained while attempting to access Sandeshkhali.
The women of Sandeshkhali have been protesting, alleging land-grabbing and sexual assault by Shahjahan and his associates. Pramanik has drawn a contrast between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national leadership and the alleged inaction of the West Bengal government, questioning if there is any credible opposition to Modi in the country.