Don't wrestle with a pig: Mahua Moitra hits back at Kalyan Banerjee in escalating TMC feud
Kolkata: A simmering internal feud within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has exploded into a full-blown public confrontation, with MP Mahua Moitra referring to fellow party leader and senior parliamentarian Kalyan Banerjee using a scathing metaphor that likened him to a pig. The sharp remark, made during a podcast with India Today, is the latest flashpoint in a series of escalating clashes between the two leaders, highlighting deepening factionalism within the West Bengal-based party.
"You don't wrestle with a pig. Because the pig likes it and you get dirty," Moitra said during the interview, in clear reference to Banerjee. The comment came in response to Banerjee’s recent personal attacks on her marriage to former BJD MP and senior advocate Pinaki Misra.
Tensions between the two leaders intensified in June following a gang-rape case at a Kolkata law college, in which the accused were allegedly linked to the TMC’s student wing. Kalyan Banerjee made a controversial comment on the matter, saying, “What can be done if a friend rapes a friend?” The party officially condemned the remark as “insensitive,” and Moitra amplified that condemnation, criticizing what she termed the “misogyny” within Indian politics.
In retaliation, Banerjee launched a deeply personal attack: “She is saying I am anti-women. What is she? She has broken up a family of 40 years and married a 65-year-old guy. The women of the country will decide.”
Moitra hit back during the podcast, stating, “There are deeply misogynistic, sexually frustrated, depraved men in India, and they have their representation in Parliament across all parties.” She also called the silence of West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee “unfortunate,” though she expressed hope that the leadership would act in time.
Their animosity predates the recent controversy. Earlier this year, the two clashed inside Parliament over what initially appeared to be a trivial issue, Banerjee’s dramatic endorsement of a Bengali sweet shop during a Lok Sabha session. Moitra objected, questioning whether parliamentary time should be used for such theatrics.
In April 2025, another confrontation occurred at the Election Commission's Delhi office during the submission of a TMC memorandum. Moitra reportedly objected to her name being omitted and confronted Banerjee, leading to a verbal altercation. Witnesses claim Moitra asked security to remove Banerjee for using offensive language.
That altercation had wider consequences. Banerjee lashed out at other party leaders, accusing MP Kirti Azad of leaking internal discussions to the BJP and labelling veteran MP Saugata Roy a “thief of Narada,” referencing the 2016 bribery sting operation.
Saugata Roy rebuked Banerjee’s remarks, saying, “He is in the habit of making deprecating statements, particularly against women,” and noted that several MPs wanted him removed as the party’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha.
Despite the controversies, Kalyan Banerjee, four-time MP and long-time legal advisor to Mamata Banerjee, continues to enjoy the protection of the top leadership. The party issued a showcause notice to MLA Madan Mitra over similar controversial remarks on the rape case but has not taken any public action against Banerjee.
Moitra, who commands national media attention and represents the party’s progressive face, has increasingly found herself at odds with the party’s old guard.
With West Bengal Assembly elections on the horizon in 2026, the TMC leadership now faces mounting pressure to intervene decisively.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
