NCW violence report details ‘impact on women’, TMC calls it ‘a BJP mouthpiece’

Kolkata: The National Commission for Women-led committee inquiring into the Murshidabad violence on Friday said the communal strife had a particularly devastating impact on women and girls. This prompted Trinamool to launch a scathing attack on the agency, calling it "a BJP mouthpiece".
In its report, NCW claimed that "there was a complete breakdown of administrative machinery and governance in the district". "Survivors described how they were dragged out of their homes, brutally attacked, and in some instances, told to send their daughters to be raped," it said, citing testimonies that suggested a "systematic pattern of intimidation and brutality".

"Despite prior intelligence and visible tensions in the area, the state govt failed to take preventive or responsive action, and instead, appeared to act as a mute spectator. The violence appears to have been deliberate and premeditated," a statement by NCW read.
TMC responded strongly. "NCW is once again acting as a mouthpiece of BJP. The violence in Murshidabad was unfortunate but was swiftly brought under control. It was Bengal Police which ensured swift action and arrested all those responsible. CM Mamata Banerjee is visiting Murshidabad next week. The one thing our govt cannot be faulted on is our commitment to the safety, welfare and well-being of women. NCW — last seen producing fake rape charges in Sandeshkhali — should refrain from acting like an agent of BJP," alleged TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose.
The commission highlighted the devastating impact on women and girls. "Many were subjected to unspeakable acts of sexual violence, physical assault and rape threats," the report noted. It further pointed to administrative and geopolitical factors that may have worsened the situation. "The porous border with Bangladesh, along with poor administrative vigilance, have worsened the situation," NCW stated, adding that "the presence of radical religious elements in the area cannot be ruled out".
Trinamool netas had earlier this week taken a swipe at NCW, calling it "BJP's women wing", and questioned its neutrality after a team led by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar visited the violence-hit areas in Murshidabad. TMC MP Saket Gokhale had also claimed that NCW member Archana Majumdar, who had been prominently featured in media reports, was a "card-carrying BJP worker" who contested the 2021 Bengal elections on a BJP ticket.