Trinamool Swaps Women’s Wing Chief With Tribal Leader After Viral Video

Kolkata:

Following a controversy over three tribal women allegedly forced to do ‘dandavat parikrama’ before joining the Trinamool Congress from the BJP, the TMC on Sunday changed the president of its women’s wing in Dakshin Dinajpur district where the incident had occurred.

The party authorities announced appointing tribal leader Snehalata Hembrom as the president of its Dakshin Dinajpur district women’s wing in place of Pradipta Chakraborty, in whose presence the incident occurred two days ago.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told reporters in Kolkata that the party stood for the dignity of tribals and women and strongly disapproved of any action which may lower their honour.

A video surfaced recently purportedly showing three tribal women doing ‘dandavat parikrama’ before joining the TMC from the BJP. The saffron party’s state president Sukanta Majumdar shared the video on his Twitter handle.

Martina Kisku, Shiuli Mardi, Thakran Soren and Malati Murmu, resident of Tapan Gofanagar, Tapan, joined BJP yesterday. They belong to ST community.

Today, TMC goons forced them to return to TMC and punished them by asking to do Dandavat Parikrama. pic.twitter.com/eks61eD2EP

— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) April 7, 2023

“We condemned the action (of Pradipta) and removed her from the post. Appointment of Hemborm, a hard-working popular tribal woman leader of the district, reaffirms our commitment to the cause of Adivasi women,” TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

He said the move is part of the overall policy of the party to induct more tribal women leaders in leading organisational posts of the TMC.

On Friday night, three tribal women who were earlier with the BJP visited the TMC office at Kathalpara in Balurghat town and received the party flag from Pradipta after doing ‘dandavat parikrama’ in the lane leading to the party office.

A video of the incident went viral triggering outrage.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the TMC insulted the entire tribal community and women.
 

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