Kolkata, Feb 14 : Facing all-round criticism over the allegations of sexual harassment of women by absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, the state's ruling party on Wednesday questioned the timing of levelling such allegations.

Raising this question, Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh also alleged that this "sudden outburst" of angst by the local women is actually part of a conspiracy hatched jointly by the BJP and the CPI(M).

According to Ghosh, even if it is accepted that the women were silent for so many years out of fear, why didn't the local CPI(M) and BJP leadership raise this issue before?

'Neither the members of the West Bengal Commission for Women, nor those from the National Commission for Women were able to get any specific complaint from any victim woman alleging sexual harassment. Hence, we believe that the allegations are nothing but part of a negative propaganda to deliberately tarnish the image of the state government,' Ghosh said.

The local women at Sandeshkhali took to the streets complaining of sexual harassment soon after Sheikh Shahjahan, the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF personnel on January 5, went absconding.

Even when Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited Sandeshkhali earlier this week, several women were seen and heard on camera complaining to him about sexual harassment in the hands of Shahjahan and his associates.

Meanwhile, speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Barasat Range, under whose jurisdiction Sandeshkhali falls, claimed that the situation is totally under control now.

'Normalcy has been restored at Sandeshkhali. The situation is under control. However, police deployment will continue for some more time,' he said.

/IANS