TMC Leaders Engage In Personal Attacks Over Kolkata Rape Case Comments

Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra exchange harsh personal criticisms following controversial remarks about the Kolkata law college gang-rape case and party accountability.
A bitter public feud has erupted between two prominent Trinamool Congress parliamentarians, with Kalyan Banerjee launching personal attacks against Mahua Moitra in response to her criticism of his controversial statements regarding the Kolkata law college gang-rape incident.
The latest confrontation centers around Banerjee's victim-blaming remarks about the sexual assault case, where he suggested that women should be cautious about their companions. His comments drew sharp condemnation from Moitra, who criticized the party leadership for failing to adequately denounce such inappropriate statements from its own members.
Banerjee escalated the dispute by targeting Moitra's personal relationships, specifically referencing her marriage to former BJD MP Pinaki Misra. He accused her of disrupting a four-decade-long marriage, stating that she had returned from her honeymoon only to engage in conflicts with him. The veteran politician questioned her credentials to speak against misogyny, alleging that she had caused harm to another woman by entering into the relationship.
Further intensifying his attack, Banerjee labeled Moitra as the "most anti-woman" figure, referencing her previous parliamentary expulsion for ethics violations. He suggested that her primary concerns revolved around personal financial gain and security rather than genuine advocacy for women's rights.
The controversy originated from Banerjee's response to the Kolkata law college incident, where he made victim-shaming statements suggesting that women should be aware of their associates. His remarks, which many interpreted as blaming the survivor rather than the perpetrators, sparked widespread criticism and forced the party to distance itself from his position.
Moitra responded to the party's official stance by highlighting the broader issue of misogyny across political parties in India. She praised the Trinamool Congress for condemning inappropriate comments regardless of their source, emphasizing that such condemnation distinguishes the party from others.
This latest clash represents the second major public disagreement between the two MPs within a few months. Their previous confrontation occurred in April at the Election Commission office in New Delhi, where tensions escalated to the point that Moitra allegedly requested security personnel to arrest Banerjee. That dispute arose from Moitra's name being removed from a party memorandum to the election commission.
The earlier incident gained public attention when private WhatsApp communications between Banerjee and fellow TMC MP Kirti Azad were leaked, revealing derogatory comments about Moitra that further strained their relationship.
The ongoing feud highlights internal tensions within the Trinamool Congress and raises questions about party unity, particularly regarding sensitive issues like women's safety and appropriate public discourse. The exchange has also drawn attention to the broader challenges political parties face in maintaining consistent positions on social issues while managing internal disagreements among prominent members.
















