KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra have locked horns in a war of words that escalated over the weekend, triggered by Banerjee’s controversial remarks regarding the recent rape incident at Kasba in Kolkata.
Referring to Moitra’s recent marriage, Banerjee on Sunday said, “Did she start attacking me after returning home after completing a one-and-a-half-month honeymoon? I respect all women, but I hate Mahua Moitra. I hate the one whom the Ethics Committee of Parliament expels.” Moitra recently married former Puri MP Pinaki Mishra at a palace in Berlin.
Banerjee and Trinamool MLA Madan Mitra had made contentious statements on Saturday concerning the rape incident, which placed the party in an uncomfortable position. Later that night, the Trinamool Congress posted its official stand on the matter on X.
In the post, the party said, “The remarks made by MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Madan Mitra concerning the heinous crime at South Calcutta Law College were made in their personal capacities. 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.”
The post further read, “Our stance remains resolute; we have zero tolerance for crimes against women and demand the strictest possible punishment for all those involved in this heinous crime.”
Moitra shared this post on her X handle, writing, “Misogyny in India cuts across party lines. What differentiates @AITCofficial is that we condemn these disgusting comments no matter who makes them.” However, she did not name either Banerjee or Mitra in her post.
Banerjee, however, retaliated, questioning Moitra’s allegations of misogyny. On Sunday, he said, “Am I a misogynist? You ruined a woman's 40-year married life, made her suffer and married that man. Am I a misogynist?”
He further claimed that Moitra does not allow any other female leader to ‘rise’ in her constituency.
In political circles, the strained relationship between Moitra and Banerjee is no secret. The two were involved in a public spat within the Lok Sabha complex a few months ago.
Earlier, the Kolkata Police arrested four individuals, including a security guard in connection with the alleged gangrape of a law student within the premises of South Calcutta Law College in Kasba.
Among the accused, two are current students of the college, while the prime accused, Monojit Mishra, is a former student. The survivor filed an FIR on June 26, a day after the assault.
The three individuals arrested by police in the Kasba rape case are reportedly members of the Trinamool Congress’s student wing, TMCP. Following the incident, Banerjee had remarked, “If a classmate rapes a classmate, who will provide security?” His comment, intended to suggest that police cannot be expected to ensure safety inside educational institutions, sparked a storm of criticism, prompting the Trinamool to quickly distance itself from his statement.
Despite the backlash, Banerjee took to X to defend his position. Responding to the Trinamool’s post, he wrote, “I completely disagree with the post made by @AITCofficial on X. Are they indirectly supporting the leaders who are shielding these criminals? Mere academic statements won't bring any real change unless immediate action is taken against those leaders directly responsible.”
“What's even more unfortunate is that some of the leaders who emerged after 2011 are themselves under question in such crimes. I also wish to clearly distance myself from those who are encouraging or protecting these criminals. To truly understand the intent behind my words and statements, a certain level of moral and intellectual alignment is required — which, unfortunately, seems to be missing,” he added.
