Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra are once again locked in a ugly public spat, this time over Banerjee’s “misogynistic” remarks on the Kolkata law college gangrape case. The very public feud comes barely three months after their face-off at the Election Commission’s office.
Moitra on Saturday slammed fellow MP Kalyan Banerjee over his remarks saying that “misogyny in India cuts across party lines”. Quoting TMC’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “Misogyny in India cuts across party lines. What differentiates AITC is that we condemn these disgusting comments no matter who makes them.”
Kalyan Banerjee launches personal attack on Moitra
Responding to the criticism, Kalyan Banerjee launched a scathing personal attack on Mahua Moitra, bringing up her recent marriage to former BJD MP Pinaki Mishra. “She is saying I am anti-women. What is she? She broke up the family of a man who had been married for 40 years and married a 65-year-old guy,” Banerjee said.
He continued, “Did she not harm the lady? The women of the country will decide whether she broke up the family. An MP who was expelled from Parliament for breach of ethics is preaching me! She is the most anti-woman. She only knows how to secure her future and how to make money.”
What has Banerjee said?
He had suggested that women should be more careful about who they associate with, saying, “Those who are roaming around with such people should understand whom they are accompanying.”
His remarks quickly drew backlash online. Following this, the Trinamool Congress officially distanced itself from Banerjee’s statements. In a post on X, the party clarified that his comments were made in a personal capacity and do not reflect the party’s position. “The party unequivocally disassociates itself from their statements and strongly condemns the same. These views do not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever.”
A 24-year-old law student was allegedly raped inside the union room of her college on June 25. The prime accused, 31-year-old Manojit Mishra, is a former student of the institution, while the two others – Promit Mukherjee and Zaid Ahmed are believed to be current students.
Previous feud at Election Commission
This public spat is the latest in a series of confrontations between the two MPs. On April 4 Moitra and Banerjee had a heated altercation at the Election Commission’s office in New Delhi. The confrontation escalated to such an extent that Moitra allegedly told security staff to “arrest him”.
The row was reportedly triggered by Moitra’s exclusion from a party memorandum. It later became public after a WhatsApp exchange surfaced, in which Banerjee allegedly referred to her as a “versatile international lady”.