People's Democracy

AIDWA Condemns TMC Assault on Howrah Mayor

T      THROUGH a statement issued from New Delhi on February 22, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has expressed outrage over the brutal attack on Ms Mamta Jaiswal, the mayor of Howrah in West Bengal and an AIDWA activist, by Niraj Singh and a group of Trinamul Congress (TMC) supporters on February 19. The mayor was gheraoed, and molested by the TMC anti-socials in the course of carrying out her duties. The anti-socials also assaulted a woman councillor, Basanti Mazumdar, who was with the mayor at the time. The AIDWA has also described as most unfortunate the fact that the police too did not take proper action, but kept watch when the councillor was being heckled. It was only later that the complaint of molestation filed by the mayor was registered.

The AIDWA has condemned the trend of violence being unleashed against political and social activists by the Trinamul Congress, which has shown utter disregard for the democratic rights of the people. It has demanded stringent action against the perpetrators of this attack, and urged upon the police to ensure that women’s safety is not sacrificed due to other compulsions.