Dilip Ghosh’s derogatory comments against Mamata Banerjee triggers row; TMC demands action

Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday demanded the arrest of BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh for his derogatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Ghosh, while addressing a conclave hosted by a media house on Wednesday, allegedly made some unsavoury remarks about Banerjee's family.

Meanwhile, an eight-member delegation of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) led by Bratya Basu will meet Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Thursday, demanding action against Ghosh.  The party delegation will address the media outside Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor.

Here's what we know about the controversy:

What did Dilip Ghosh say

During an interaction at the 'India Today East Conclave', Ghosh had allegedly made some derogatory remarks about Banerjee's family. He made the comments while referring to her Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai (Bengal wants her daughter) campaign during the last Bengal Assembly polls and her visit to Goa where she also claimed affinity with the coastal state.

Besides using unsavoury words against the West Bengal chief minister, he also accused her of “corrupting both Hinduism and Islam”, reports India Today.

“We have a saying ‘Respect other religions, follow your own’. But here we see the opposite. Our CM hails from a Hindu Brahmin family, but she offers namaaz and observes roza (fast). Sometimes she goes to iftaar parties after eating her fill. She is corrupting both Islam and Hinduism in this way,” he said, the report quoted Ghosh saying.

What have the reactions been?

Expressing shock over the utterances of the former state BJP president, Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour Trinamool Congress MP, on Wednesday 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?"

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?

Political mud-slinging by the likes of @DilipGhoshBJP continues to REMAIN UNCHECKED.#ShameOnBJPpic.twitter.com/X7yv7zzj3r

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) July 6, 2022

Another party MP, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, expressed shock that such crass words can be used by a political personality against a woman, who happens to be the only woman chief minister in the country. Dressed in black as a sign of protest, Dastidar demanded action against Ghosh.

Shame on BJP leader ⁦@DilipGhoshBJP⁩ pic.twitter.com/48eyN1vb3G

— Dr. KakoliGDastidar (@kakoligdastidar) July 6, 2022

Nusrat Jahan, the Basirhar MP said Ghosh's remark about the only woman chief minister of the country reflects the party's values and principles and demanded that immediate action be taken against him.

This is the quality of @BJP4India- DEGRADED & ILL-MANNERED! @DilipGhoshBJP's remark for the only woman Chief Minister of the country reflects the party's values and principles! Immediate action must be taken against such unjustified behaviour. https://t.co/t0ok6yPOSh

— Nusrat J Ruhii (@nusratchirps) July 6, 2022

Not the first time

During the crucial West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021, when Ghosh was the state BJP president, he repeatedly came under fire for his various remarks against the TMC supremo and others, which embarrassed the party. If reports are to be believed, it was not just the BJP's defeat in the state, which led him to lose his post to Sukanta Majumdar, but also the fact that some of his 'irresponsible' comments contributed to it.

Eventually, unable to rein in Ghosh, the BJP earlier this year shot off a letter to him asking him to refrain from making controversial public statements. The letter stated that at times, Ghosh’s comments have “embarrassed the party” and his comment about his “colleagues" were inappropriate. It also stated that Ghosh’s remarks on senior leaders were unacceptable.

In 2019 while addressing party men at an event in East Midnapore, Ghosh instructed BJP workers to beat up TMC workers and even police personnel if attacked.

Then again in his speech in March 2021, Ghosh alleged that Banerjee deliberately shows her plastered leg. Ghosh was quoted saying, "People don't want to see her face, that's why she's showing her broken leg... What kind of saree is she wearing, which covers one leg and shows the other? If you want to put out your leg, why saree, wear a Bermuda so it can be seen."

Banerjee was injured in Nandigram earlier that month where she was campaigning after filing her nomination paper for the much-publicised seat.

After four persons died as CISF personnel opened fire at crowds while voting was underway in the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency area in April 2021, Ghosh said, "Naughty boys received bullets at Sitalkuchi. If anyone dares to take the law into his hands, this will happen to him also," he said without elaborating on the phrase 'naughty boys'.

With input from agencies

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