FIR against CPI-M leader suspended on charges of sexual harassment

Kolkata, Oct 28: More trouble seems to be brewing for senior CPI-M leader and former legislator Tanmay Bhattacharya, who was suspended by his party after a female journalist accused him of sexual harassment, as she has filed an FIR against him. The FIR is filed at Baranagar Police Station under which Bhattacharya’s residence comes.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh has demanded that if proven guilty after investigation, Bhattacharya should be arrested immediately. Ghosh has also launched an attack against CPI-M by linking the development concerning Bhattacharya with the recently held protest demonstrations organised by the party’s youth and students’ wings on the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata this August.

“Will there be a human chain demanding his arrest? This proves that nothing has changed in CPI-M and Tanmay,” Ghosh said on social media. Meanwhile, Bhattacharya has claimed to a section of the media that the entire development is a well planned conspiracy to malign him. He also said the party’s decision to suspend him without hearing his side was unfortunate.

“If the party leadership feels that someone has to be suspended just on the basis of a complaint, then they are right. If tomorrow such a complaint comes against anyone else he will also be suspended. I expected the party leadership would give me a chance to explain my stand. I come from a Leftist family. Such attacks will never divert me from my ideology,” Bhattacharya said.

On Sunday, a female reporter attached to an independent YouTube news channel, made a Facebook live video, accusing Bhattacharya of “sexually inappropriate” behaviour with her when she went to his residence to interview him. She also claimed that she has become mentally shattered because of the incident and also demanded action from the CPI-M leadership against Bhattacharya in the matter,

Soon after that, the CPI-M state committee in West Bengal issued a statement announcing the suspension of Bhattacharya from the party. “CPI-M always takes such complaints quite seriously. The party does not endorse such an alleged action on the part of Tanmay Bhattacharya with a female journalist who was there because of her professional compulsions. Such actions do not fall in line with the expectations of the CPI-M leadership from their party workers and sympathisers,” said the statement issued by the party.

The party has also maintained that such charges against Tanmay Bhattacharya have tarnished the image of the party in public.