Nandigram: Women allege stripping by CPM cadres-India-The Times of India

Nandigram: Women allege stripping by CPM cadres-India-The Times of India

Nandigram: Women allege stripping by CPM cadres
6 May 2008, 1542 hrs IST,PTI

Shifting Face of a political party


NANDIGRAM: Three women activists of Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Commitee on Tuesday claimed they were beaten up and stripped by CPM cadres in Nandigram for refusing to support the Marxists in the ensuing panchayat polls.

Malati Das, Krishna Das and Tulsi Das of Simulkundu village claimed that they have filed a complaint but the Nandigram police refused to comment.

When contacted, Superintendent of Police of East Midnapore S Panda said that he had no information on the matter and that the Nandigram police station could only say anything.

The women alleged that around 40-50 CPM cadres, led by Mamata Das, came to their houses on Monday.

"The CPM cadres told us that we should vote for their party in the panchayat polls. When we refused to oblige, they started beating us. They even snatched the voter's identity cards," they alleged.

"They then started stripping our clothes. We ran for around one km without any clothes to escape from their clutches," they claimed.

The CPI-M denied the allegations, saying it was all a part of the malicious campaign to tarnish its image ahead of the polls.

The East Midnapore district secretariat member of CPI-M, Ashok Guria, alleged that during the clash at the village, a party activist Sheikh Javed was shot at by rival party activists and women present there ran in panic.

"In the confusion, one or two of them might have fallen down and the incident was thoroughly distorted by the opposition parties," he claimed.

He alleged the Opposition was bent on tarnishing the image of the CPI-M at a time when defeat in the panchayat poll was staring it in the face.