POLICE DENY RAPE ALLEGATION AS BENGAL POST POLL CLASHES CONTINUE

KOLKATA/SILIGURI: The West Bengal Police on Wednesday refuted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’S allegations that two women were raped while several others were molested in the state’s Birbhum district in the aftermath of the post-poll violence, even as party president JP Nadda criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Till Tuesday, at least 12 people were killed in various political attacks and clashes that erupted ever since the assembly results were declared on May 2. On Wednesday, the bodies of two TMC workers were recovered in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts.

Birbhum superintendent of police Nagendra Nath Tripathi, who was made the district incharge during the polls by the Election Commission, said: “The posts repeatedly shared on Twitter and Facebook by a specific political party since Monday, alleging that two women were raped in Nanoor and many more were molested, were examined by us. These are fake news. We carried our investigations and talked to BJP leaders at these locations. Even they are not aware of such incidents.” Nadda, who is stationed in Bengal since Tuesday, said: “Grassroots workers and women in their families are being targeted. Let the TMC challenge the photos it claims to be fake. What about the police complaints and postmortem reports?,” Nadda said.

The TMC has rejected the BJP’S allegations, with Banerjee saying: “I have noticed that violence and clashes are taking place in those areas where the BJP have won the elections. These places can be seen as black spots.”

ON WEDNESDAY, BODIES OF TWO TMC WORKERS WERE RECOVERED IN COOCH BEHAR AND ALIPURDUAR DISTRICTS