A video grab of a verbal spat between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad, and screenshots of their heated exchanges in the party’s official WhatsApp group, shared by the BJP’s Amit Malviya, went viral Tuesday, bringing to the fore the deep fissures within West Bengal’s ruling party.
Kolkata:A video grab of a verbal spat between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad, and screenshots of their heated exchanges in the party’s official WhatsApp group, shared by the BJP’s Amit Malviya, went viral Tuesday, bringing to the fore the deep fissures within West Bengal’s ruling party.
The Trinamul Congress has been left hugely embarrassed and in shock, particularly after Malviya posted screenshots and videos of the exchanges on X, saying it was evidence that the TMC was imploding internally.
The controversy reportedly began last week when a TMC delegation visited the Election Commission to submit a memorandum on duplicate voter identity cards. TMC MP Mahua Moitra reportedly confronted Kalyan Banerjee, the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, for allegedly excluding her from the list of signatories on the memorandum that the party was submitting to the EC.
An altercation allegedly erupted between the two MPs on the premises of the EC office, with Banerjee later claiming that Moitra asked the security personnel there to arrest him, accusing him of misconduct. Another senior TMC MP, Saugata Roy, said Moitra was crying after the altercation.
“What he has done has maligned the party. He should be immediately removed as the chief whip. Kalyan Banerjee is known for his intemperate and uncivilised behaviour,” Roy said.
Under attack, Banerjee addressed a press conference on the issue. “I have been in politics for the last 40 years. This woman MP was asking the security staff outside the EC office to arrest me. Who are they to send me to jail? She hurled abuses at me. I fight in Parliament. I’m not obsessed with one industrial house,” he said.
Without naming Moitra directly, he added: “Just because the woman MP speaks fluent English doesn’t mean she can insult anybody.” Ms Moitra, when contacted, refused to comment.
Roy said although he was not present during the spat at the EC office, he saw Moitra crying and complaining to other MPs at Vijay Chowk. “She told other MPs he behaved in an uncivilised manner. He has a history — from calling Jyotiraditya Scindia a ‘lady killer’ to throwing a bottle during a JPC meeting. I have remained silent so far, but this can’t go on,” he said.
The situation worsened after the spat spilled over to the TMC MPs’ official WhatsApp group, where Banerjee and TMC MP Kirti Azad got into a fresh exchange. Screenshots of the chat, shared by Malviya, showed Banerjee making snide remarks directed at a “versatile international lady”. He was quoted as saying in one message: “Send your BSF and Delhi Police to arrest me. Your home ministry connection is very strong, international great lady.”
In another message, he wrote: “That day not a single boyfriend... stood behind her... Today, of course... famous player stood behind her to get me arrested.”
Azad, a former cricketer, responded sharply, saying that Banerjee was behaving like a “juvenile delinquent”. Banerjee then mocked Azad, calling him “captain of internal politics”, and ridiculed him over his electoral defeat in the cricket administration polls.
The feud dates earlier, party insiders said. Banerjee had reportedly objected to a proposal by Azad to open a “sandesh” (Bengali sweet) stall in Parliament House, saying if an outlet was to be opened, it should be a state government franchise.
Party sources said Moitra exited the MPs’ WhatsApp group after the EC incident and sent letters detailing her grievances to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. It was learnt that Banerjee also verbally complained to the West Bengal CM about the incident.
Senior TMC leaders have confirmed that the matter has been escalated to the level of Mamata Banerjee, who is expected to take a final call on the issue. “I feel the time has come to act against Kalyan Banerjee and remove him from the party. Let the leadership take a call,” Roy said.
Earlier, in a veiled attack on Moitra, the two-time MP from Krishnanagar, Banerjee said: “She used to be a very close friend of a top Congress leader earlier. She always craves for a longer time than others to speak in discussions at the House.” He added: “She came to our party after 2009. Her sole agenda is to attack Narendra Modi and (Gautam) Adani. She served the interests of an industrialist.” Banerjee also attacked Dum Dum MP Sougata Roy, calling him a “Narada Chor” and a “Priya Ranjan Das Munshi loyalist”.
To that Roy responded: “In calling us ‘Narada Chor’ he has not only insulted us but damaged our party also. Of course, I was close to Priya Ranjan Das Munshi. However, I have been in Mamata Banerjee’s party since 2001. I don't need a certificate from Kalyan, who has become famous as uncouth. Let him live with that. But he should be removed as the chief whip.”
