A political furore erupted in West Bengal on Tuesday after Bharatiya Janata Party MP Dilip Ghosh made a personal attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and mocked the Trinamool Congress supremo over her family background.
The party immediately filed a complaint against Ghosh, known for courting controversies with his comments, with the State Chief Electoral Officer for passing “disgraceful and derogatory remarks” against Banerjee. The party has asked for “immediate action” against the former state BJP president for “blatant violation” of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
“When Didi (Banerjee) goes to Goa, she calls herself the daughter of Goa. When she goes to Tripura, she says that she is the daughter of Tripura. She should first decide who is her own father...,” Ghosh told media while mocking Trinamool’s slogan, “Bengal wants its own daughter.”
Ghosh, who is contesting from the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, mired in controversies several times and found himself in trouble for making personal attacks on his opponents, including the Trinamool chief.
On Tuesday, Trinamool swung into action and filed a complaint with the State Chief Electoral Officer, saying, “Ghosh’s comments not only cross the boundaries of decency but also perpetuate a culture of misogyny and disrespect towards women in positions of power.”
In a surprising move, the BJP, which released its second candidate list for Bengal on Sunday, has shifted the constituency of Ghosh. He will now contest from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency instead of Medinipur, where he won five years ago.
The former state BJP president is pitted against Trinamool’s Kirti Azad this time. Azad was a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team.