Kolkata, Mar 6 (IANS): The wave of the recent awakening of the women of Sandeshkhali, who have been protesting against sexual harassment and violence against them, will spread to the entire state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday in Barasat, in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal.

“The ruling Trinamool Congress had been ignoring the complaints of harassment of women for a long time. Everyone is ashamed of what has happened in Sandeshkhali, but it does not matter to the Trinamool Congress and the state government.

“Now they are trying to protect the accused by moving one court after another. But they have been snubbed in all the courts,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a rally on women empowerment organised by the state unit of the BJP.

He also said that the state government and the ruling dispensation have faith in the accused Trinamool Congress leader and his associates but not in the women of Sandeshkhali.

“Bengal is the land of Ma Sarada, Rani Rashmoni, Sarala Debi, Matangini Hazra and Pritilata Waddedar. In West Bengal, the ruling dispensation does not show the minimum respect towards women. Remember there is provision for even death penalty in case of heinous crimes against women, like rape.

“The Union government has started a helpline where women in distress can call and register their complaints. But in West Bengal, the state government has not allowed that system to operate,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the women of Sandeshkhali had shown the way by launching a spontaneous protest against harassment and violence.

“The wave of Sandeshkhali protests will now spread to each and every corner of the state. Appeasement politics and rampant corruption are two pillars on which the Trinamool Congress is standing,” the Prime Minister said.

He also accused the West Bengal government of not implementing different central projects for women empowerment.

“The ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ project of the Centre has not been implemented in West Bengal. Around 14 lakh applications for the Ujjwala gas connection scheme are pending with the West Bengal government. In fact all the state governments run by the INDIA bloc partners are doing the same thing by creating hurdles for implementation of the central projects for women empowerment in their respective states,” he said.