Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 22 (ANI): All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Chandrima Bhattacharya on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that its “Matrishakti Bharosa Card” initiative amounts to bribery under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and constitutes a serious threat to women’s safety and data security.
Referring to the Representation of the People Act, Bhattacharya said, “Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 defines bribery as any gift, offer, or promise made by a candidate or their agent to any person with the object, directly or indirectly, of inducing voters.”
She alleged that the BJP initiative falls under the same category, stating, “What the BJP is doing through their so-called ‘Matrishakti Bharosa Card’ is precisely that. A textbook corrupt practice. A flagrant violation of the Model Code of Conduct. But it is worse than electoral fraud. It is a direct threat to the safety and security of women.”
She claimed that the BJP was misleading women through inducements and putting them at risk, stating, “They are using women as weapons. They are fooling women and showing them temptations.”
Bhattacharya alleged that women’s personal data is being collected in an unsafe manner, saying, “BJP is collecting personal details, home addresses, contact numbers, and bank account information from women across Bengal. This puts lakhs of women at serious, tangible risk of online fraud, financial scams, and identity theft.”
Referring to the BJP’s “Bharosa Patra” initiative, the TMC leader said, “Something was released in the market called Bharosa Patra (Assurance Letter). In that Bharosa Patra, there was Nari Shakti Matrishakti Bharosa Patra. What is it? That Mamata Banerjee is giving 1500 rupees, 1700 rupees in Lakshmir Bhandar, they (BJP) will double it.”
Attacking the BJP, Chandrima Bhattacharya added, “Double engine, double amount. It will go from 1500 to 3000. But when will it happen? That’s the manifesto. It will happen when they (BJP) come to power. But they are not coming to power. So why are they distributing these cards now?”
The ‘Matrishakti Bharosa Card’ initiative, she said, violated election norms. Bhattacharya alleged that voters are being made to submit sensitive details despite the Model Code of Conduct coming into force.
“Election rules have come into force. You can do it after you come to government, but you are not coming to government and you don’t have to do it. But you are violating the election rules,” she further added.
Warning voters, she said, “If these banking details are taken, there could be many banking issues in the future. It has been seen that many types of fraud occur.”
Bhattacharya also urged voters, particularly women, to be cautious, saying, “I would appeal to the common women through you to be very careful… Because if you give your details, the money that is in the bank may go away.”
She also accused the BJP of misusing its political outreach to gather sensitive information, stating, “The BJP came to Bengal claiming to champion women. They are leaving with women’s bank details. We demand the immediate cessation of this data collection exercise and a full investigation into what has already been gathered, by whom, and for what purpose.”
She concluded, “We want to say clearly that this is a violation of election rules and it is against Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act.”
This comes as West Bengal is set to go to the first phase of Assembly elections tomorrow (April 23), with the second phase scheduled on April 29. (ANI)