Kolkatta: Things are getting unpleasant in the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Senior MP Kalyan Banerjee is unhappy with fellow party member Mahua Moitra because of some comments she made on a podcast. Moitra called Banerjee a ‘pig’, and he thinks that kind of talk is just bad for politics.
Kalyan Banerjee took to X to complain about the insults. He said that people who use that kind of language are just showing how insecure they are. He believes that it reflects poorly on politicians when they use abusive language.
The fight seems to have started when Banerjee questioned Mahua Moitra about her marriage to BJD leader Pinaki Mishra. Then, on a podcast, Moitra said that you don’t wrestle with a pig because the pig likes to get dirty. India has misogynistic, sexually frustrated, and corrupt men who are represented across all parties.” People got upset, especially about the pig comment.
Banerjee also said there seems to be one rule for men and another for women when it comes to insults. He said he was just asking questions about accountability, something every politician should be ready for. He thinks calling a male colleague sexually frustrated is not brave; it’s just plain abusive. He thinks if someone said the same about a woman, everyone would be angry, but when it’s a man, people don’t care as much.
Banerjee thinks Moitra is using abusive language to cover up her mistakes and avoid tough questions. He believes it’s wrong to have different standards for men and women, where men are expected to take it. He believes if Moitra thinks insults will make people forget about her problems, she’s wrong. He finished by saying that people who use insults instead of giving real answers are not good for democracy, and that everyone can see what they’re doing.
Banerjee has resigned from his job as the TMC’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha after this fight with Moitra. He said he was quitting after a meeting with party leader Mamata Banerjee.