Rekha Patra on video of her asking about Sandeshkhali women who met President

BJP candidate and one of the leading faces of Sandeshkhali protests, Rekha Patra, on Thursday said that the video of her questioning the identity of Sandeshkhali survivors who met the President is old.

“It is an old video, before I became a BJP candidate,” Rekha Patra said.

The purported video shows Rekha Patra questioning the identity of the contingent of "Sandeshkhali victims" who were earlier taken to Delhi by the state BJP leaders to meet President Draupadi Murmu and relate their ordeal.

Six women from West Bengal's Sandeshkhali met President Droupadi Murmu in March and demanded that central security force personnel be deployed in the area for the protection of women.

The date of the video, showing Rekha Patra questioning the identity of the “Sandeshkhali victims” who met the President, is not verified as of yet.

Reacting to the video, Rekha Patra said that the Trinamool Congress was “disrespecting women by sharing that video”.

“Police had told me to take back my complaint and told me to write that Sheikh Shahjahan was not involved in any financial irregularities and submit. Police didn't stand beside us but were with people like Sheikh Shahjahan. Chief Minister didn't say anything for us, only attacked us,” Rekha Patra said.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has alleged BJP's hand in "staging the Sandeshkhali incident".