Sandeshkhali video vindicates stand: TMC; BJP claims footage AI-generated

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) released a video on social media on Saturday (May 4) claiming that the BJP is 'behind' the 'whole conspiracy' in Sandeshkhali.

In February this year, Sandeshkhali witnessed protests and unrest after TMC leaders were accused of sexual abuse and extortion against the locals. The BJP took up the issue and the Mamata Banerjee-led government came under fire. 

In LS election season, the TMC released a video on social media, claiming that the footage vindicated its stand that the BJP was behind the entire episode.

In the purported video, a man claiming to be Gangadhar Kayal, who is a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, was heard saying that the leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly "Suvendu Adhikari is behind the whole conspiracy".

'Doctored' counters BJP

While Adhikari said the video posted by the TMC was doctored, Kayal lodged a complaint with the CBI alleging that it was a morphed and edited video. The central agency is probing into the incidents on an order of the Calcutta High Court.

"The entire Sandeshkhali incident was preplanned. The BJP had scripted it well. The truth has been exposed. I have been saying this for a long time. I have not seen the entire video. I will definitely see it," TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister said at an election rally in Chakdah in Nadia district.

PTI did not verify the authenticity of the video posted by the TMC.

“I never thought the politics of Bengal would stoop so low to get votes… We have been saying from day one that a shameless attempt was made to malign Bengal ahead of the elections,” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, considered number two in the party, told a press conference in Kolkata.

He alleged that to create grounds for imposition of Article 355 in Bengal, Adhikari orchestrated the entire incident in Sandeshkhali.

Abhishek Banerjee asserted that the honour of Bengali women was compromised by such allegations in Sandeshkhali, which he believes are aimed at maligning the state.

He demanded that the BJP's top leadership apologise for “maligning” Bengal about Sandeshkhali within 48 hours.

Denying any role by the TMC in the alleged sting video, Banerjee said, “I am sure some independent journalists have done it. And they did a commendable job. Let the people of Bengal decide on the veracity of the video. It is in public domain."

Responding to the TMC’s allegations, Adhikari said, “It is a fake and doctored video. It seems that the TMC sensed defeat (in the election) and is trying to divert attention. There have been hundreds of complaints by women of Sandeshkhali."

In his written complaint to the CBI, Kayal said, the video in question was uploaded from an unverified YouTube channel owned by someone named ‘Williams’.

“It can be seen that the same (footage) has been made using my face and the voice has been moduled using Artificial Intelligence (AI) so that it can mislead the public at large,” the BJP mandal president said.

In his complaint, Kayal also provided the link to the YouTube video.

The “edited” video was made “to safeguard the actual culprits of Sandeshkhali incidents by shifting the blame and the burden to the person who stood by the victims of the Sandeshkhali incident and also to disturb the ongoing investigation conducted by the CBI”, Kayal said in his letter to the agency.

AI theory

In the press conference, Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the BJP mandal president had confirmed in the morning that it was his voice.

"However, after pressure from party higher-ups, he is now invoking the AI theory," he added.

Abhishek Banerjee wondered why state governor CV Ananda Bose, who was vocal in condemning the incidents of Sandeshkhali, is silent on this video.

He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept mum on the allegation of molestation of a woman employee inside Raj Bhavan.

It is claimed in the video that several women were given ₹2,000 each to lodge complaints of atrocities against them.

"It is shameful that the BJP thinks it will win polls by selling the honour of women of Bengal at the cost of ₹2,000,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

Referring to the remark of the BJP Lok Sabha candidate Rekha Patra that the content of the video is concocted, the TMC national general secretary said she should file a defamation suit against her own mandal president.

Patra is a resident of Sandeshkhali and an alleged victim of atrocities at the hands of TMC local leaders such as arrested Zilla Parishad member Shajahan Sheikh.

To a question, Banerjee said the TMC working committee should have taken a little more time before suspending Shahjahan Sheikh and two other TMC leaders from the party who were accused of committing atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali.

"We will take a call on the issue. But law will take its own course," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)