A young YouTube journalist in Kolkata accused former CPI(M) MLA Tanmoy Bhattacharya of molesting her during an interview on Sunday. She went live on Facebook to make the accusation, stating that before the interview began at his home, Bhattacharya “jokingly” sat on her lap without her consent.
“I was scheduled to interview the CPI(M) leader today. While my cameraperson was adjusting the frame before the interview, Mr Tanmoy repeatedly asked, “Where should I sit?” and then suddenly sat on my lap,” the journalist alleged. “I told him that I did not like the joke and asked him to get up.”
She further claimed that she had interviewed the former Dum Dum Uttar MLA earlier on multiple occasions and he would always “jokingly” touch her without her consent. “As a journalist, I am mentally very strong. In the past, I just got my work done and left. But today I am devastated.”
Bhattacharya reacted by saying that he often “jokes” with people and had done the same with the young journalist as well. “She has interviewed me at least five-six times and I have joked with her earlier as well. I don’t understand what went wrong today,” he told the media.
The CPI(M) leader later mentioned that a family member was present during the interview and witnessed that nothing inappropriate occurred. Bhattacharya claimed that the interview went smoothly and that the young journalist even discussed questions for another interview she was scheduled to conduct later that day.
Shortly after the live video went viral, the CPI(M) suspended the 66-year-old leader from party membership. Mohammed Selim, the party’s West Bengal secretary, expressed disappointment in Bhattacharya’s behaviour and emphasized that the party is taking the allegations against him very seriously. “We have an internal complaint committee (ICC) and it will further probe the matter. It will take some time, but for now, we are suspending Tanmoy Bhattacharya,” he told the media.
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The former legislator has sparked considerable controversies in the past as well. Following the Left Front's poor showing in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Bhattacharya publicly criticised the CPI(M)’s state leadership for their shortcomings, which led to him being showcaused by the party.
During the by-election for the Baranagar assembly, held alongside the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, he was involved in a physical altercation with some TMC workers outside a polling booth, who accused him of improperly influencing voters.
