Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Monday launched a scathing attack on fellow party MP Mahua Moitra in a lengthy X post over her alleged controversial remarks made during a recent podcast comparing him to a pig.
Kalyan Banerjee alleged that Mahua used "dehumanising language" against him. "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," he wrote.
Hitting out at Mahua, Banerjee further wrote, "Those who think invective can replace substance should take a hard look at the kind of politics they are practising — and the hollowness it exposes. When a public representative stoops to name-calling and coarse innuendo, it reflects not strength, but insecurity."
He continued, "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."
Banerjee also criticised what he called a double standard, stating, "Labelling 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. Abuse is abuse — regardless of gender."
He concluded by saying, "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. Those who rely on abuse instead of answers are not champions of democracy — they are its embarrassment."
Banerjee's reaction followed a day after Moitra sparked controversy by describing her party colleague through a harsh comparison. "You don't wrestle with a pig. Because the pig likes it and you get dirty," Moitra stated during a podcast interview. Her remark was made in response to Banerjee's recent personal criticisms regarding her marriage to Pinaki Misra, a former BJD parliamentarian and senior legal counsel.
