The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at Mahua Moitra, alleging that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP insulted Jharkhand by calling BJP MP Nishikant Dubey a "Jharkhandi piece of fecal matter". Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla and BJP's Jharkhand state president Babulal Marandi accused the TMC MP, who once again won from the Krishnagar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal in the recently concluded general assembly elections, of insulting Jharkhand.
Moitra, known for her unabashed statements, recently appeared on podcast 'Inside Out With Barkha Dutt', where she spoke on a range of topics, including the 'cash-for-query' scandal. This scandal saw her getting disqualified and expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023.
When asked by Dutt whether Moitra felt hurt by the allegations, the TMC MP replied, "I felt none of those things. Sometimes things happen because they have to happen. ... To me this is all irrelevant... I'm only angry that the narrative was not about me fighting the BJP, and the narrative was not about me fighting (Prime Minister) Modi, the narrative was me getting into some brawl with some Jharkhandi piece of, you know what, fecal matter."
Dutt then interrupted her asking, "Why would you use a phrase like that? That's not how you typically express yourself." To this, Moitra said, "Because I think I'm also a human being."
However, BJP spokesperson Poonawalla took to X asking Moitra why did he she "abuse" Jharkhand. "She, while alluding to MP Nishikant, says "Jharkhandi piece of fecal matter" ! Isn’t this an insult of Jharkhand ? Even if your foul mouth can only hurl abuses why abuse Jharkhand ??," he said.
BJP's Jharkhand state president Marandi, too, reacted on Moitra's statement. "Madam @MahuaMoitra ji, I just saw your interview where you demeaned and personally attacked a senior MP, using filthy words for our state, Jharkhand. ... This vile language reflects more on your character than on anyone else."
Moitra had previously used the term "Jharkhandi", in what BJP claimed to be was in offensive manner, against Dubey in October 2023. During an interview with India Today over the 'cash-for-query' row, Moitra said, ""In the face of all of this, some stupid story about my pet dog comes out in public and one Jharkhandi Pit bull has been assigned by the BJP to go after me."
Soon after, Dubey criticised Moitra over her comments. "Today, in an interview with India Today, Mahua insulted the entire Jharkhand and Bihar by calling me a Pit bull, a dog," he posted on X at the time, drawing support from other BJP leaders who condemned the TMC MP for the remark.
