TMC Hits out at BJP, Its Leader Brands Mamata Banerjee a “Witch” and Calls for “Beheading” Her
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 25: As the election fever has started gripping West Bengal and the political temperature rising, the Trinamool Congress on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the BJP over a viral video in which a BJP leader is heard calling for “beheading” the TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The video shows the leader Sanjay Das, the vice-president of the BJP Mathurapur unit in south 24 Parganas, branding Ms Banerjee an “old witch” and calling for “beheading” her with a “Kharga” and actually hands over a scimitar to the party’s former state president Dilip Ghosh to execute the act.
The derogatory remarks have drawn a sharp response, with the Trinamool saying it was a “public call for murder against a democratically elected woman Chief Minister” and also recalls certain derogatory remarks made against her by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past.
“This old witch is ruling West Bengal. She must be beheaded with a kharga (scimitar),” Sanjay Das is heard saying in a video from a party event attended by Dilip Ghosh and then the BJP leaders, including Das, handed over the scimitar to Ghosh.
Hitting out at the BJP, the ruling Trinamool raked up Mr Modi’s “Didi o Didi” remark, particularly during the last Assembly elections in 2021 and again during the Parliamentary elections in 2024, referring to them as ‘catcalls’. The ruling party said it was “no surprise that other @BJP4India leaders feel licensed to descend into outright criminality.”
“At BJP’s “Poriborton Sabha,” their Vice President of Mathurapur OD, Sanjay Das, handed a kharga (sword) to @DilipGhoshBJP, branded our Hon’ble Chairperson a ‘daini’ (witch), and openly called for her beheading. A public call for murder against a democratically elected woman Chief Minister,” the Trinamool said in a post on X.
“Is this the ‘Poriborton’ Bengal wants? Women being threatened, violence being glorified, and lynch-mob language being normalised from the stage?” the post added. Trinamool MP Bapi Haldar said, “BJP is repeatedly trying to spread unrest in Bengal. Sometimes breaking idols of gods and goddesses, sometimes making provocative statements – all of this is planned.” The party has filed a police complaint against Sanjay Das.
BJP leader Satarupa attempted to hit back at the TMC even while distancing herself from Das’s remarks about “beheading,” She alleged that the Trinamool leaders have spoken about tying up BJP leaders to trees and beating them up. “This is a direct reaction to what Trinamool leaders have been saying about BJP leaders,” she said and hasten to add that she did not support Sanjay Das’s statement and that the party leadership would make it very clear to him.
