Sandeshkhali has been on the boil after several women accused Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides of sexually assaulting them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met women, who alleged sexual assault by suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali.

“They put forward their ordeal and PM heard them patiently like a father figure. The victims were very emotional with the fact that PM understood their pain,” sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party told HT. 

Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas has been on the boil after several women accused local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides of sexually assaulting them. The 40-year-old TMC leader, also known as ‘Bhai’ by his supporters, was arrested last week. After the arrest, Shahjahan was suspended by the TMC for a period of six years. Several villagers also alleged land grabbing by Shahjahan and his associates.

Prior to his rally in Barasat, PM Modi had hit out at Mamata Banerjee over Sandeshkhali. “Whatever happened in Sandeshkhali is a matter of shame. The TMC government is trying to protect the person responsible for this. However, they have received a setback from the high court as well as the Supreme Court… The storm of Sandeshkhali will reach every part of West Bengal,” the prime minister had said.

The prime minister’s attack comes a day after the Calcutta high court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the case involving attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5 by Shahjahan and his supporters. Three ED officials were injured and their vehicle damaged by the mob on that day.

High drama unfolded on Tuesday as the West Bengal CID refused to hand over the arrested TMC leader to the CBI, hours after the Mamata Banerjee government challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court. Sandeshkhali has become a major flashpoint between the TMC and BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.