Abhishek named TMC Lok Sabha unit head amid Kalyan-Moitra spat

WEst Bengal chief government minister Mamata Banerjee has handed her nephew and the Trinamool united states congress’ (TMC) subject superior general secretarial assistant Abhishek Banerjee charge of the party’s Lok Sabha unit amid a fresh public slanging match between its lawmakers Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee.According to party leaders aware of the matter, Kalyan on Mondayoffered to resign as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha after the fallout. The resignation is yet to be accepted, said the party leaders.Kalyan later told HT, “Abhishek Banerjee called me and told me not to push my resignation. He said, He wants to talk to me.”During an interview with India Today aired on Sunday, Moitra, when asked about Kalyan’s purportedly sexist comments during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, said, “You don’t wrestle with a pig because then you get dirty.”“There are deeply misogynistic and sexually frustrated people in India and they have representation in Parliament,” she added.On Monday, Kalyan Banerjee, in a post on X, hit back at Moitra.“I have taken note of the recent personal remarks made by Ms. Mahua Moitra in a public podcast. Her choice of words, including the use of dehumanising language such as comparing a fellow MP to a “pig”, is not only unfortunate but reflects a deep disregard for basic norms of civil discourse.”The feud between Kalyan and Moitra, simmering for months, spiralled to a high this April, when Kalyan accused “a woman MP” of shouting at him -- a purported reference to Moitra. The two faced off again when a delegation of TMC MPs went to the Election Commission of India’s office, with the situation escalating and Mahua asking CISF personnel to arrest Kalyan. In June, Moitra appeared to criticise Kalyan over his comments on the gang-rape of a woman Kolkata law college. Kalyan responded by accusing her of “breaking a marriage of 40 years”, a reference to her wedding with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pinaki Misra.People who think “invective can replace substance should take a hard look at the kind of politics they are practising - and the hollowness it exposes,” he added.“Let me state this clearly: What I did speak about were questions of public accountability and personal conduct, which every public figure must be prepared to face — man or woman. If those facts are inconvenient or uncomfortable, it does not justify branding legitimate criticism as “misogyny” to escape scrutiny.“Labeling a male colleague as ‘sexually frustrated’ isn’t boldness — it’s outright abuse. If such language were directed at a woman, there would be nationwide outrage, and rightly so. But when a man is the target, it’s dismissed or even applauded. Let’s be clear: abuse is abuse — regardless of gender. Such remarks are not just indecent, they reinforce a toxic double standard where men are expected to silently endure what would never be tolerated if roles were reversed,” Kalyan added.“If Ms. Moitra thinks that flinging gutter insults will mask her own failures or distract from serious questions about her record, she is deluding herself.”As the face-off, the latest between the two lawmakers, escalated, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, hurriedly convened an online meeting of party MPs.According to a leader present in the meeting, Mamata praised the performance of the party’s Rajya Sabha team, but flagged coordination issues in its Lok Sabha unit. And even as the TMC’s Lok Sabha’s floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay was present and ready to travel to Delhi, Banerjee decided to appoint Abhishek Banerjee as the party’s Lok Sabha in-charge.