KOLKATA: A political slugfest erupted on July 1 after West Bengal Irrigation Minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Manas Bhunia was heard saying ‘a small incident’. Although he did not specify which incident he was referring to as a ‘small incident’, the BJP linked it with Kasba rape incident.
The BJP vehemently attacked the ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, over Bhunia’s remarks. “This is not just a crime. It is symptomatic of a party that has institutionalised misogyny,” the party said.
Speaking at a programme on Tuesday, Bhunia said, “The accused in the Pahelgaon attack have not been caught. And look at Bengal... As soon as a small incident happens, there is a lot of noise.”
“Don’t look at who is criticising you. Let's move forward slowly with Mamata Banerjee's picture,” he added.
Later, when Bhunia was asked which incident he referred to as ‘minor’, he replied, “All of them.”
He further said, “There is a lot of fuss over a minor incident. But one thing you should judge is whether the Chief Minister has avoided any incident or not. The CBI could not move an inch beyond the action taken by Mamata Banerjee in the RG Kar incident.”
The BJP strongly criticised the minister’s comments. BJP leader Jagannath Chatterjee said that such comments have been heard from Trinamool leaders before.
Later, Bhunia said, “My words are being interpreted in a distorted way. If necessary, I will take legal action. I did not even utter the K of Kasba.”
In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress said, “An excerpt from Shri @ManasB_Official's speech has been maliciously taken out of context, misquoted, and circulated to mislead viewers about the Kasba incident.
"Shri Manas Bhunia has issued a strong clarification, unequivocally condemning the Kasba incident and exposing the BJP’s desperate, deceitful narrative. BJP should know that defamation has consequences. No matter how loud the lies, truth will prevail,” the post also reads.