The BJP has nominated Rekha Patra, a rape victim from West Bengal, as a candidate for the assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to her as ‘Shakti Swaroop,’ acknowledging her strength and resilience. This move not only aims to deliver justice to rape survivors but also empowers them to contribute to societal progress. By giving them a platform, it sends a message of courage and empowerment, inspiring others at the social level.
Rekha Patra, a resident of Sandeshkhali, has been fielded by the BJP from Basirhat. She was the first to raise the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali and the three accused, expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra, and Uttam Sardar, are behind bars. Rekha is also believed to be part of the group that met Modi on the sidelines of her public meeting in Barasat on March 6 and conveyed the message to the PM about the plight of Sandeshkhali women.
Rekha is one of the few people who received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after getting the candidature. In a call, PM Modi described her as “Shakti Swarupa”, highlighting her fight against the accused in Sandeshkhali. The Prime Minister said, “There are very few people who think about everyone, even those who have wronged them. You have a big heart. The country will be proud of you.” He said that he has set a remarkable example for the country. Women in the country. During the telephone conversation, he extended his best wishes to Rekha.
Rekha was not only the first woman to file a written complaint against the accused, but she was also the first to give an in-camera statement before the magistrate. Thirty-year-old Rekha Patra, a housewife, who allegedly faced torture at the hands of Shajahan Shaikh and his associates, along with several other women agitators from the area, carried protest rallies against her tormentors with her baby girl on her waist. As local agitation against the TMC erupted, several women accused Shahjahan and his associates of forceful “land-grabbing and sexual harassment”.
“I have no words to describe how I am feeling,” Rekha told reporters here after her talks with Modi on Tuesday. The political greenhorn said, “I never dreamed that I would be selected for this task. If elected, I will make every effort to ensure that the women of Basirhat do not have to suffer the trauma that We had to suffer in Sandeshkhali.” , “I will also ensure that the agricultural land forcefully snatched away from our brothers is returned to them so that they can cultivate their land as per their choice,” she said.
