‘No need to politicise’: TMC after BJP alleges women assaulted in Bengal’s Malda

West Bengal Minister and TMC leader, Shashi Panja, on Saturday refuted BJP allegations, and said that there was no need to “politicise” Malda incident. 
The BJP on Saturday alleged that two tribal women were stripped naked and tortured a few days ago in West Bengal while police remained a ‘mute spectator’. 
Responding to the allegations, TMC leader Shashi Panja said that it was a case of theft, where two women tried to steal something from a market. 
“There is absolutely no need to politicise the Malda incident. It was a case of theft, where the two ladies tried to steal something from the market. A group of women tried to take law and order into their hands and started beating them. However, the police reached the spot. A case has been registered and police are investigating the matter,” she said. 
She further said that the incident where this took place is a big market. Many things are being sold there. These two poor women had stolen something. And obviously, the women shopkeepers thrashed these two thieves and their dresses were torn in that scuffle. 
“Is this a political issue? The lady civic police had tried their best to mitigate the altercation. A suo moto case has been registered and the women who took the law into their hands need to be identified,” she pointed out. 
“The local female traders should not have taken the law and order in their hands. The BJP is trying to play politics and manipulate a fight between women,” she alleged. 
BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya today took to Twitter to post a purported video, that has surfaced on social media, of the incident, which he claimed took place on July 19 in Pakua Hat, a weekly market, of Bamangola Police Station in Malda. 
“The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The women belonged to a socially marginalised community and had a frenzied mob baying for her blood…,” Malviya who is the party’s BJP in-charge of West Bengal said. 
While reacting to the incident, Union Minister, Smriti Irani said that the incident was “shocking”. She also questioned Congress’ silence over the viral video from Malda and called it a ‘mute spectator’. 
“This (Manipur viral video) issue is not only sensitive but 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 spoke up on crime against women in the state, he was unceremoniously dismissed by the Congress,” she said while adding that “Equally shocking is a video that is emanating from West Bengal’s Malda where two Dalit women are being beaten & stripped. 
“Congress did not want to hear the truth about atrocities against women in the state of Rajasthan…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 alleged.