Amid row between Bengal Speaker and BJP, Trinamool demands action against Dilip Ghosh for comment against Mamata

KOLKATA: Voicing outrage over the alleged comment of BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at 'India Today East Conclave', Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Wednesday demanded his arrest.

During an interaction at the programme of the leading media group, Ghosh had allegedly made some derogatory comments against Banerjee referring to her "Banglar Meye" (Daughter of Bengal) campaign during the last assembly polls in Bengal and her later visit to Goa where she had claimed her affinity with the coastal state.

Expressing shock over the utterances of the former state BJP president, the Diamond Harbour Trinamool Congress MP tweeted, "Outrageous. PM @narendramodi, it is about time to get this loose tongue arrested! Is this how @BJP4India leaders talk about the only sitting woman Chief Minister of the nation?"

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar in a video expressed shock that such crass words can be used by a political personality against a woman, who happens to be the only female chief minister in the country.

Dastidar said she was wearing a black badge in protest against the "misogynistic" comment by Ghosh and demanding action against him.

State BJP leaders could not be contacted immediately for reaction.

The development comes amid Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee and the BJP on Wednesday sparring over paying homage to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on the assembly premises on the occasion of his 121st birth anniversary.

Banerjee expressed disappointment over Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP MLAs not being present during his garlanding of a portrait of Mookerjee in the assembly hall, and said it was "unprecedented".

The BJP, on the other hand, said its members do not need to learn how to pay tribute to a great son of Bengal, and claimed that the speaker himself had on several occasions broken traditions, but did not cite any example.

After paying floral tributes to the portrait in the first half, Banerjee told reporters, "Neither was the LoP nor was any member of his party present. In the past, LoPs such as Abdul Mannan of Congress, Surjya Kanta Mishra of CPI (M) or Sujan Chakraborty of Congress hadn't acted in such a way during such solemn occasions when we offered our tributes together forgetting our political differences."

While Banerjee was saying this, Adhikari and other BJP MLAs were at the BJP chamber located beside the assembly hall.

"I have come to know that they are paying respect to Syama Prasad Mookerjee separately as a party but not together as stakeholders of this august House. This is sad," Banerjee added.

Later, Adhikari and other BJP MLAs, however, came to the assembly hall and placed floral wreaths before Mookerjee's portrait but the speaker and TMC legislators had left by then.

"All of us later went to the assembly hall and paid floral tribute to Mookerjee. Instead of criticising us, the speaker should guide TMC MLAs on how to come to the aid of Hindus during attacks on their properties and how to stop politics of appeasement.

The ideals that Mookerjee stood for are not being honoured by the state government and the ruling party.

"The speaker should take off tinted glass coloured by his partisan views. He will then see the reality. He must learn to respect the Opposition and not work at the TMC's behest," BJP's Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul told PTI.

At a programme in Kolkata, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said Bengalis have been made to forget the sacrifices of Mookerjee for achieving a "homeland for Bengali Hindus".

Adhikari led a rally from Golpark to Hazra in memory of Mookerjee.

"To realise Mookerjee's dreams for safety and security of Bengali Hindus, appeasement-practicing TMC must be removed from power and a BJP government installed in West Bengal," he said.

The LoP, however, faced protests from a fringe outfit, Sanatan Hindu Samaj, when he visited Mookerjee's residence in south Kolkata.

The demonstrators said a "Narada scam-tainted person like Adhikari" must not be allowed to enter Mookerjee's residence, to which the LoP said the "little-known outfit was floated by TMC and has no following among devout Hindus".

A scuffle broke out between BJP and Sanatan Hindu Samaj activists which was broken up by the police.

BJP organised programmes in several parts of the state on the occasion, including Balagarh and Chinsurah in Hooghly district, Gopalnagar in North 24 Parganas, and Coochbehar and Dakshin Dinajpur districts.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged on Wednesday that TMC workers were illegally recruited in Group D posts in the West Bengal assembly.

Terming the allegation baseless, Speaker Biman Banerjee said Adhikari was showing his ignorance and lack of knowledge by making such comments.

Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said he has credible information about such "illegal" recruitment in the assembly after the TMC came to power in the state in 2011.

"We will seek information about such appointments through RTI first. We will take appropriate action thereafter. We may move court as well. We will do whatever is needed to bring out the truth," he said.

Speaker Banerjee said the allegation was baseless and ridiculous.

"Police verification, medical examination and requisite qualifications are needed for the recruitments, besides the examinations and interviews. Suvendu Adhikari is only showing his ignorance and lack of knowledge by levelling such wild allegations," he said.