More than 24 hours after MP and senior BJP leader from Dilip Ghosh made unsavoury remarks about Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, the Central BJP leadership, mindful of the damage it could cause in poll-bound West Bengal, issued a showcause notice to its veteran leader who was forced to issue an apology, even though it was a qualified one.
In the showcause letter written in Hindi, Jagat Prakash Nadda, the BJP president. wrote: “Your (Dilip Ghosh) comment is indecent, unparliamentary and against the tradition of our party. The party strongly condemns such comments.” The BJP also sought an explanation from Dilip Ghosh on this issue.
On Wednesday, Ghosh was heard mocking the family background of Banerjee in a video clip that the Trinamool Congress lost no time in circulating and making a huge issue out of it. Leader after leader slammed the BJP leader in press conferences and on social media. The Trinamool Congress also sent a 10-member team of leaders to lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission against Ghosh for his comments, alleging that it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Citing the clause under the poll code, which states that “no political party or candidate should indulge in any activities or make any statements that would amount to an attack on the personal life of any person or statements that may be malicious or offend decency and morality”, the ruling party in West Bengal urged the Election Commission to immediately take action against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh.
“Mr 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,” the letter to the poll body read.
Ghosh, a former State BJP president, said he has no personal enmity with the Chief Minister and said that he was merely responding to Mamata Banerjee’s utterances in different States, in each of which she had claimed that she was the daughter of the State. “She went to Goa and claimed she was a daughter of Goa. She went to Tripura and claimed she was a daughter of that State. I was only responding to her statements,” he told the media today.
“This is not the first time that a controversy has erupted over my comments since I say it on the face of anyone who does any wrong,” he said. Ghosh claimed that he had only protested Banerjee’s political statements. He, however, hastened to add that though the issue of women’s respect was raised over his comments, a TMC leader had used derogatory words against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and his father Sisir Adhikari.
“Does Suvendu not expect respect because he is a man?” he questioned. The Medinipur MP, who has been fielded from the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat this time by the BJP, also mocked Trinamool Congress’ slogan of “Bangla Nijer Meye ke chai (Bengal wants its own daughter)”.
Maintaining that his party and other people could have reservations about his choice of words, Ghosh said: “If it is so, I am sorry for that.”
“When she goes to Goa, she says she is the daughter of Goa. In Tripura, she says she is the daughter of Tripura. First, let her clarify…,” he had said. BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said his party does not support such remarks about women and that too against someone who is a Chief Minister, and that is why an explanation was sought from Ghosh.
BJP sources said that the Central leadership went into overdrive to contain the potential damage that Ghosh’s remarks could have caused. “The leadership knows how Mamata Banerjee can grab at any opportunity to play the victim card and extract political mileage from it. It wanted to nip any chance of that. That is why Dilip da was issued an official showcause letter,” a senior leader told The Daily Guardian.
“Such mentality of BJP leaders humiliates Nari Shakti. He earlier made derogatory remarks against Maa Durga. He should be arrested for what he said about Mamata Banerjee…” Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad said.
West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said that BJP leader Dilip Ghosh is such a petty man and such people should be defeated in the upcoming elections.
“We are all the daughters of India. Wherever we go, we will be the daughters of India. Whichever state we visit, we will be its daughters. Dilip Ghosh is such a petty man. He is contesting elections and he thinks that he will win and become a public representative. Will such a man be the public representative?”
“The BJP’s DNA and its character are so bad that they are attacking women and Mamata didi. They want to suppress and weaken women if they grow powerful. If this is the mindset of politicians, what will be the mindset of workers? What impact will it have on the ground level? If you insult women, atrocities against them will increase. Such people should be defeated. The Election Commission should take action. They are so greedy for power that they can stoop to any level. It is their frustration that is in action,” she added.