NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday said he saw Mahua Moitra in tears following a spat with party colleague Kalyan Banerjee outside the Election Commission office last week, and urged that Banerjee be removed from his position as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha over repeated “uncivilised” conduct, reported PTI.
“I was not there when this altercation between Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra took place. I was at Vijay Chowk and the spat took place in front of the Election Commission office. I saw Mahua crying and complaining to several MPs, of other parties also, about Kalyan’s behaviour,” Roy told reporters in Kolkata, according to a PTI report.
What triggered the clash between Banerjee and Moitra
According to a TMC source, the spat occurred on April 4 when a party delegation went to the Election Commission to raise the issue of duplicate voter ID numbers. Following the meeting, the group also marched to Parliament.
Banerjee had been tasked with getting TMC MPs to sign a memorandum to be submitted to the EC. Moitra reportedly confronted him after discovering her name was not included among the signatories and slammed him for it outside the EC office, reported PTI.
A war of words ensued. Banerjee later alleged that Moitra had even asked security personnel at the EC office to arrest him.
‘He behaved in an uncivilised manner,’ says Roy
Roy said Moitra had not spoken to him directly, but told another MP about Banerjee’s behaviour. “She said that he (Banerjee) behaved in an uncivilised manner,” he said.
Taking a sharp dig at Banerjee, Roy said, “I feel it is beneath my dignity to reply to whatever Kalyan Banerjee may have said. His uncivilised behaviour had been in our focus several times.”
He cited a string of past incidents: “He called (Union Minister) Jyotiraditya Scindia ‘lady killer’ and later apologised to him. During the JPC meeting on Waqf, he broke a bottle and threw it at the chairman of the panel. Kalyan is known for his intemperate and uncivilised behaviour. So far, I did not speak about it because it’s beneath my dignity. I heard from you that he has said things against me and that’s why I have replied.”
Roy said Banerjee was not fit to serve as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha. “That Kalyan is not fit to be on the post is apparent to me. I have not said it so far, but because of his behaviour and his incorrect English. But now, I think the time has arrived to see into it,” he said.
“I do not expect Kalyan to uphold my dignity. I think I can do that… I have been in Parliament for five years, in Assembly for another five and these are pretty long tenures for people to judge. I don’t want Kalyan Banerjee’s certificate. Let him learn his English first,” Roy added.
He said he would leave the final decision to party supremo Mamata Banerjee: “But I leave it to Mamata Banerjee’s judgment.”
Leaked WhatsApp chats reveal deeper tensions
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya shared purported screenshots of a WhatsApp group of TMC MPs, showing Banerjee clashing with party MP Kirti Azad. The screenshots suggested that Banerjee had referred to Moitra in veiled terms, calling her a “versatile international lady”.
In one message, Banerjee allegedly wrote: “Send your BSF and Delhi Police to arrest me. Your home ministry connection is a very strong international great lady.”
Another message read: “Today I congratulate the gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of a versatile international lady. That day not a single boyfriend of hers stood behind her. This foolish man whom she wanted to arrest by BSF, stood behind her. Today of course 30 years famous player stood behind her to get me arrested.”
Kirti Azad, in response, could be seen asking Banerjee not to act like a “juvenile delinquent.”
An undeterred Banerjee continued his tirade, reportedly calling Azad the “captain of… internal politics” and further wrote: “Your popularity is so much that you lost election in cricket. Let me see your power to get me arrested for your friend. Do not worry I will go to Durgapur and open your musk (sic).”
According to another TMC source, tensions between Banerjee and Azad had flared earlier as well — over something as mundane as a proposal by Azad to open a stall selling sandesh, a Bengali sweet, in Parliament. Banerjee reportedly objected to the idea unless it was a franchise of the West Bengal government.
