On the defensive on the outrage over a viral video showing Manipur women being paraded naked by a mob, the BJP came up with an allegation to counter the Manipur incident with that of two tribal women being stripped naked and tortured in West Bengal’s Malda a few days ago in the presence of police.

Earlier, denying the allegation, West Bengal DGP Manoj Malviya said that the police investigated the incident, but no evidence was found about the alleged incident. However, the saffron party stuck to its allegation.

Union Minister Smriti Irani and BJP’s national IT cell in-charge, Amit Malviya, targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had been strident in her criticism of the saffron party over Manipur outrage yesterday, said on Saturday that the Trinamul Congress-led government in the state was a mute spectator to such heinous crimes against women.

BJP I-T cell head Amit Malviya, who is also party’s co-in-charge for West Bengal, said the incident took place in Malda on July 19, with a “frenzied mob baying for her blood”.

He tweeted: “It had all the makings of a tragedy that should have ‘broken’ Mamata Banerjee’s heart, and she, instead of merely outraging, could have acted, since she is also the home minister of Bengal. But she chose to do nothing.”

The BJP has been criticizing Banerjee for sporadic incidents of violence during the recently-concluded West Bengal panchayat elections. With the Opposition parties targeting the BJP over the incident of two women being paraded naked in the ethnic violence in Manipur, where it is in power, the party has been highlighting similar cases of atrocities on women in states ruled by rival parties, such as the Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress.

Speaking on the Malda incident, Malvia said, “Neither did she (Mamata Banerjee) condemn the barbarity nor did she express pain and anguish because it would have exposed her own failing as a chief minister.”

Union Minister Smriti Irani also reacted to the Malda incident, saying “This (Manipur viral video) issue is not only sensitive but also has implications with regard to national security and is known to the Opposition leaders. However, the Opposition did not want to discuss the issue on the floor of the Parliament. What is extremely alarming is that yesterday, from the state of Rajasthan, a minister, who spoke up on the crimes against women in the state, was unceremoniously dismissed by the Congress.”

She further said, “Equally shocking is a video emanating from West Bengal’s Malda where two Dalit women are being beaten up and stripped. On the other hand, Congress did not want to hear the truth about atrocities on women in the state of Rajasthan. The Congress is a mute spectator to the killings of people during the West Bengal Panchayat elections, all because it is hungry for collaboration with TMC,” she said.

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar asked why I.N.D.I.A. (new Opposition alliance) isn’t condemning the Malda incident. “Another horrific incident with the Tribal women in WB. Two Tribal women were stripped naked & beaten mercilessly in Malda. Like other heinous incidents, Didi is silent & not taking any action in her own rule. Why I.N.D.I.A. isn’t condemning this?” he tweeted.

Stating that “there is absolutely no need to politicize the Malda incident”, West Bengal minister and Trinamul Congress leader Shashi Panja claimed that it was a case of theft, where the two ladies tried to steal something from the market.

CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said, “Malda’s incident should not be compared to that of Manipur. Atrocities against women in any part of the country are condemnable…West Bengal’s incident where ‘Adivasi’ women can be seen beating other ‘Adivasi’ women is condemnable…It is just an example of West Bengal govt’s lawlessness…” she tweeted.