Kolkata/IBNS: In an unsparing attack on the Mamata Banerjee government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the entire country is "sad" and "angry" over the Sandeshkhali case where arrested and now suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan is charged with land grabbing and sexual abuse of women.

In an address to BJP supporters in West Bengal's Arambagh, Modi said, "The entire country is sad and angry upon TMC, which used to give the Maa Mati Manush slogan, for what it did with Sandeshkhali women. Raja Rammojan Roy's departed soul must be shedding tears now."

Slamming Mamata Banerjee for her role in the entire case, the Prime Minister said the Chief Minister helped the accused to remain absconded instead of helping out the women from Sandeshkhali, an island in North 24 Parganas.

"The TMC leader was absconding for almost 2 months. There must be someone who helped him to remain absconded," Modi said and added, "People are asking Didi that whether some people's vote is more important than the pain of Sandeshkhali mothers?"

Modi slams INDIA bloc over Sandeshkhali

Prime Minister Modi slammed various leaders across the country for remaining mum on the Sandeshkhali case, accusing them of backing "corruption", "dynasty politics" and "appeasement" as their sole agenda.

He said, "INDI alliance leaders are silent on the case. They went to Patna, Bengaluru, Mumbai for meetings but couldn't raise a question against the TMC government."

Modi, who kickstarted his campaign in Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Friday, also slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's one-off comment on Sandeshkhali where the latter said, "These things happen in Bengal. There are three parties, Congress, Communists (Left) and TMC. I don't want to comment on these issues at the national level... Of course we do condemn atrocities against women."

Hitting out at Kharge, the Prime Minister, who is the supreme leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, "Congress President’s reply was an insult to Bengal, its people and culture. This is the truth of Congress and INDIA."

What is the Sandeshkhali incident?

On January 5, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials reached Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam, in which erstwhile state Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick is already in jail.

In quite an unanticipated reaction, the ED officials were attacked allegedly by Shahjahan's followers who were in huge numbers and were forced to flee the spot boarding a vehicle of a news organisation.

Shahjahan- the head of an administrative block in Sandeshkhali- was an aide of Mallick, who is accused of diverting a huge sum of money from the food distribution system.

Sheikh Shahjahan | Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video

After Shahjahan went absconding from Sandeshkhali- an island where one can reach through ferry services from Dhamakhali in North 24 Parganas- a few women came out in protests against the leader accusing him of land grabbing for over a decade.

The protests escalated in February when a large of number of women with brooms, sticks gathered to demand the arrest of Shahjahan accusing him of sexual abuse.

Several women with most of them covering their faces accused Shahjahan and his aides of calling them to the local party office at odd hours. Some accused the TMC leaders of sexual abuse.

"They used to call good looking women at night. If they don't turn up, their husbands will be beaten up," protesters told the press.

"When we used to file a complaint with police, we were asked to talk to Shahjahan," another protester said.

The protests, which were mostly led by women, turned out to be recurrent incidents in the area featuring in the headlines of the news channels and newspapers nationally.

Police on Thursday nabbed Shahjahan only after the Calcutta High Court cleared no stay was put on his arrest in connection with the January 5 incident, a claim put forward by the TMC top brass, a party which is at loggerheads with the BJP which runs the Centre.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee last Sunday claimed police could not arrest Shahjahan due to a stay order by the Calcutta High Court. The claim was outrightly rejected by the high court.

In another direction, the high court on Wednesday said police or ED or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can arrest Shahjahan, who has been remanded to 10-day police custody by the Basirhat court.