New Delhi : BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for the “kangaroo court justice” in north Bengal where two people, including a woman, were beaten by a man in “broad daylight” in Uttar Dinajpur district.

Poonawalla alleged that the accused is said to be a close aide to the TMC MLA there. He said that the TMC MLA defended the accused by saying that the woman, who was beaten up, had a very “evil character.”

“TMC means Talibani Mindset and Culture. The entire country is shocked after seeing the brutal video of Taliban-style, Kangaroo court justice being delivered in broad daylight on the streets of Bengal. The person who was doing this is said to be a close aide and a close person to the TMC MLA there.

Instead of coming down hard on this shocking video, the TMC MLA has actually defended it by saying that the woman in question who was being beaten up had a very evil character,” the BJP leader said.

Hitting out at the TMC MLA for justifying the incident, Poonawalla said, “He has resorted to victim-shaming and has even gone on and said that in a ‘Muslim Rashtra’ there are certain terms and conditions, thereby justifying this kind of barbaric act. What is unfortunate is that those who speak up about Manipur, and women’s issues are silent today.”

He targeted the leaders of the INDIA bloc over their silence on various incidents, including Cooch Behar, post-poll violence, the Swati Maliwal issue and the Chopra incident.

“The likes of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mahua Moitra, Sagarika Ghose, the entire rank and file of INDI Alliance leaders–they were silent even when Sandeshkhali took place, they were silent when a Muslim woman who was a supporter of the BJP was stripped in Coochbehar, they were silent when post-poll violence, rapes took place in West Bengal, and they are silent on issues like Swati Maliwal and this kind of kangaroo court justice being dispensed.

This shows that they do not care for women’s issues. They only care for their politically convenient agenda,” Poonawalla said.

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak also reacted to the incident and said that although he has not seen the video, but the law and order should not be affected anywhere in the country.

“I have not seen the video and I don’t have detailed information on the same. Law and order should not be affected anywhere in the country. Everyone should have equal rights and honour. But politics has stooped to such a level that it has become difficult to adjudge what is right and what is wrong just by looking at it–who is doing it or making it happen, why is it happening and is it right or wrong. TMC is in a better position to respond to it,” he said.

The assault took place in Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur district, where a man was seen beating two people, including a woman.  Meanwhile, according to the police, the accused, identified as Tajmul Haque alias JCB, has been arrested and will be produced before the ACJM court in Islampur today.

Chopra police arrested the person and kept the accused at Islampur police station. The police further said that efforts are being made to spread misinformation about the Chopra incident.

 “Efforts are being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation about an incident in Chopra PS under Islampur PD. The fact is, police have promptly identified and arrested one person who had publicly assaulted a lady,” the Islampur Police District posted on X.

“Accused has been arrested. Suo moto case started by the police. Victim has been provided police security. Investigation proceeds,” they added.