Day after PM's attack, Mamata marches with Sandeshkhali women in Kolkata

Kolkata, March 7 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday received wholehearted support from a group of women from the troubled Sandeshkhali area who met her after a TMC rally here, party sources said.

During the rally held on the eve of the International Women's Day, Banerjee took a group photo with the women from Sandeshkhali, who claimed that the opposition BJP and other parties were attempting to portray the ruling party in a negative light by highlighting isolated incidents of violence.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen told PTI, "Around 10-15 women from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas shared the stage with Didi and happily posed for a group photo with her." The women expressed their unwavering support to the ruling party and endorsed Banerjee's stance against those accused of wrongdoing and atrocities in past years, she said.

They commended Banerjee's initiatives in Sandeshkhali and said the situation there was peaceful, Sen added.

They also expressed satisfaction with the social welfare projects implemented by the government in the area over the past decade, she said.

Another senior TMC leader and state minister Shashi Panja relayed the sentiments of the women to Banerjee, stating, "The situation in Sandeshkhali is peaceful. The women there fully support you and appreciate your social welfare projects like 'Lakshmir Bhandar'. Over the past 10 years, significant development works have been undertaken in the remote area." The TMC rally was attended by over 200 women from the restive Sandeshkhali.

This interaction between Banerjee and Sandeshkhali women came after a similar meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and another group of women from the same area in Barasat on Wednesday.

These women had expressed concerns about ongoing atrocities by TMC leaders in the area and sought assurances from the PM regarding their safety and security. PTI