The deepening rift between Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra has erupted again, this time over Banerjee's controversial and widely criticised comments on the recent Kolkata law college gangrape case. The fresh exchange has added fuel to ongoing tensions within the party, coming just months after their last public fallout.
Kalyan Banerjee, already under fire for what many are calling a blatant case of survivor-shaming, suggested that women should be careful about the company they keep. His statement—"Those who are roaming around with such people should understand whom they are accompanying"—sparked backlash from civil society and political circles alike.
In retaliation, Kalyan Banerjee launched a personal attack, dragging Moitra’s private life into the political arena. Referring to her marriage to former BJD MP Pinaki Misra, he accused her of breaking a 40-year-old marriage and sarcastically remarked, “She has come back to India after her honeymoon and started fighting with me!”
The TMC leadership has tried to distance itself from Banerjee’s comments, insisting they were made in his personal capacity. However, the open hostility between two of its senior MPs poses a serious challenge to the party's image, especially as it seeks to maintain unity ahead of the upcoming Assembly and civic elections in West Bengal.
This infighting underscores broader issues of gender politics, internal discipline, and image management for the TMC at a time when the party is navigating both internal dissent and growing national scrutiny.
