Internal feud in Trinamool Congress surfaces over Kolkata law college rape

A rape case in Kolkata has triggered a bitter feud in Trinamool Congress, with MP Kalyan Banerjee rebelling against the party's stance and clashing publicly with fellow MP Mahua Moitra, exposing deep divisions and sharp personal attacks within the party

Kolkata: Internal feud in Trinamool Congress has surfaced over the rape of a law college student in Kolkata, with veteran party Lok Sabha member and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee almost declaring a rebel against the leadership on the issue.

The situation took a more serious turn after fellow Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra issued an X message where she subtly targeted Banerjee. This made Banerjee furious even more, and he reacted vehemently.

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The controversies started over a comment by Banerjee soon after the rape incident surfaced and three persons accused in the case, all having links with Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), were arrested.

Banerjee then made a comment claiming that it would not be possible for government authorities to protect the victim in such cases, where a friend rapes another friend.

Trinamool Congress leadership immediately censured him. On Saturday, the party issued a statement claiming that the remarks by Banerjee in the matter were made in his capacity, and the party had unequivocally disassociated itself from his statements and strongly condemned the same.

It also said Banerjee’s views did not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever, since the party’s stance remained resolute in having zero tolerance for crimes against women. Reacting to the statement issued on the official X handle of Trinamool Congress, Moitra made a comment subtly targeting Banerjee in the matter.

“Misogyny in India cuts across party lines. What differentiates @AITCofficial is that we condemn these disgusting comments no matter who makes them,” Moitra said in her reaction to the statement from Trinamool Congress.

The statement from the party censuring him and the subtle jibe from Moitra made Banerjee furious, and he reacted vehemently on the matter. According to him, what he said was a conscious comment since he could not accept a political colleague raping another colleague.

“Whatever anyone says, I cannot accept it. If I am condemned for that, I have no problem. I completely disagree with the statement from the party. Are they indirectly supporting the leaders who are shielding these criminals? Mere academic statements won’t bring any real change unless immediate action is taken against those leaders directly responsible,” Banerjee said.

He also targeted Moitra over her comments on the post and described her as an opportunist who came to the party after the Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal in 2011, ousting the 34-year Left Front rule.

“Mahua Moitra says that I am a misogynist. After returning to India after one and a half months of honeymoon abroad, she started targeting me. I am not a misogynist. I speak for women. And she, being a woman, does not allow any good female leader in her constituency of Krishnanagar to rise,” Banerjee said

He also targeted Moitra’s personal life, especially her recent marriage. “She became an MLA during the good times of Trinamool Congress and then became an MP. Now she is completely ruining that chair,” Banerjee said.