Sandeshkhali (West Bengal): A minister in West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress government has rubbished the reports of sexual assault by the members of the Mamata Banerjee-led party’s members in violence-hit Sandeshkhali, media reported.

West Bengal Minister Partha Bhowmick on Saturday asserted that no woman had complained about sexual harassment by Trinamool Congress members and dismissed the reports about it as "fake," reported India Today.

According to the report, after visiting the troubled area in the state’s North 24 Parganas district, Partha Bhowmick told the media, "No woman raised the issue of assault...This is fake and it has been established today."

However, he stated that the lands seized illegally from locals would be returned to them.

Several women in Sandeshkhali have stepped forward, alleging instances of sexual exploitation involving Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.

The inhabitants of the region have accused him of grabbing lands owned by the local people.

Shahjahan Sheikh has been evading authorities since an Enforcement Directorate team, which arrived to conduct a raid on his residence in January, was attacked by miscreants.

Bhowmick said that TMC wouldn’t hesitate to remove a “small” leader like Sheikh Shahjahan and pointed out that the party had promptly expelled a senior party leader like Partha Chatterjee, who was found to have possessed illicit wealth.

He also underscored that "those who are bad" have no place in the party, the report said.

Bhowmick accused the ED of “failure” since Shahjahan is still absconding, and added that it is not in the party’s hand.

Bhowmick was accompanied by Minister Sujit Bose to Sandeshkhali. They reassured the locals that their issues would be addressed.

Regarding the accusations of land grabbing, Bose promised that appropriate measures would be taken against those responsible.

Both ministers said they would revisit Sandeshkhali in the future.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the CPI(M) led by Minakshi Mukhopadhay was obstructed by the police from accessing the interior regions of the area.

Their progress was halted at the Majher Para area, prompting CPI(M) activists to stage a sit-in and chant slogans against the police.