West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on December 30, marking her first visit since allegations of sexual harassment and land grabbing surfaced against local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan earlier this year.
The visit aims to oversee a public distribution program, where Banerjee plans to distribute documents related to various state-run schemes to beneficiaries. She announced on December 26 that approximately 20,000 individuals would receive such documents through different camps set up for the occasion.
In January, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers were attacked, and their vehicles damaged while attempting to raid Shahjahan’s residence in connection with a multi-crore ration distribution scam. Following this incident, several women from the area accused Shahjahan and his associates of land grabbing and sexual harassment, leading to widespread protests.
The opposition parties, including the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress, alleged that the ruling TMC was protecting Shahjahan. However, after evading capture for 55 days, Shahjahan was arrested and subsequently suspended from the TMC.
Ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit, tight security measures have been implemented in Sandeshkhali to ensure the program proceeds without incident.
Banerjee’s visit is seen as a significant move to address the concerns of the local population and to reinforce the state’s commitment to delivering public services amidst the controversies involving local political figures.
