Sandeshkhali video vindicates stand: TMC; BJP claims footage doctored
Kolkata, May 4: Trinamool Congress leader Abhisekh Banerjee on Saturday accused the BJP of orchestrating the Sandeshkhali episode and claimed a video vindicated the TMC’s stand that the saffron party was behind the incidents.
Allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against TMC leaders have surfaced in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.
“I never thought the politics of Bengal would stoop so low to get votes… We have been saying from day one that a shameless attempt was made to malign Bengal ahead of the elections,” Banerjee told a press conference here.
The TMC earlier in the day released a video on social media, in which a man, claimed to be Gangadhar Kayl who is a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, was heard saying that leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly "Suvendu Adhikari is behind the whole conspiracy".
PTI did not verify the authenticity of the video posted by the TMC.
While Adhikari said the video is doctored, Kayl lodged a complaint to the CBI alleging that it was a morphed and edited video.
In the press conference, Banerjee who is considered number two in the TMC, alleged that for creating grounds for imposition of Article 355 in Bengal, he orchestrated the entire incident in Sandeshkhali.
Banerjee asserted that the honour of Bengali women were compromised by such allegations in Sandeshkhali, which he believes are aimed at maligning the state.
He demanded that the BJP top leadership apologize for “maligning” Bengal about Sandeshkhali within 48 hours.
The TMC national general secretary also wondered what Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had mentioned Sandeshkhali incidents several times during his election rallies will say now.
Responding to the TMC’s allegations, Adhikari said, “It is a fake and doctored video. It seems that the TMC sensed defeat (in the election) and is trying to divert attention. There have been hundreds of complaints by women of Sandeshkhali."
In his written complaint to the CBI, Kayl said, the video in question was uploaded from an unverified YouTube channel owned by someone named ‘Williams’.
“It can be seen that the same (footage) has been made using my face and the voice has been moduled using Artificial Intelligence (AI) so that it can mislead the public at large,” the BJP mandal president said.
In his complaint, Kayl also provided the link to the YouTube video.
Seeing is believing so hear it straight from the horse's mouth.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 4, 2024
Here's the entire sting operation video of how Suvendu Gaddar Adhikari went out of his way to hatch the Sandeshkhali conspiracy with the sole motive to tarnish Bengal's image.
Courtesy: Williams-xy8yo (YouTube)… pic.twitter.com/iY4kyuDVd0
The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengal's progressive thought & culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state on every possible level.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2024
Never before in the history of India has a ruling… https://t.co/50QUParP16
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Manmohan Singh, LK Advani cast votes from home
New Delhi (PTI): Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister LK Advani and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi have cast their votes using the home voting facility, the Delhi poll body said.
The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi on Thursday kicked off the home voting facility for elderly voters and persons with disabilities (PwDs) and it will go on till May 24.
According to the data shared by the office, 1409 voters cast their ballots from the comfort of their homes across all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi on Friday, which was the second day of the facility being started.
The West Delhi constituency reported the highest number of home votes, with 348 voters participating. Among them, 299 were elderly individuals.
With the completion of the second day, a total of 2,956 voters have exercised their right to vote from home, the CEO office said.
"Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and former Union minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi successfully cast their votes on May 17 from their home availing home voting facility in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency," the office said.
Former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari cast his vote on Thursday, it added.
Former deputy prime minister LK Advani cast his vote on Saturday, sources said.
On the first day, 1,482 voters exercised their franchise from home.
A total of 5,406 voters across Delhi -- elderly individuals and PwDs -- have filled out Form 12D to avail of the home voting facility in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
This initiative ensures these voters can participate in the electoral process with ease and dignity, eliminating the need to visit polling stations. Delhi will go to polls on May 25.
