Leaders of the Trinamool Congress, including Minister for Women and Child Development Sashi Panja, on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of addressing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a mocking tone at public meetings.
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At a press conference here, three women leaders of the State’s ruling party said addressing a woman Chief Minister in such a manner was an insult to all the women. Dr. Panja was joined by TMC leader June Malia and Ananya Chakraborty.
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The TMC leadership said the Prime Minister referred to Ms. Banerjee as “Didi O Didi” in a mocking tone. “This behaviour of the Prime Minister is anti-woman, akin to harassment. We will leave it to the people of West Bengal to give a befitting reply to Mr. Modi and [Union Home Minister] Amit Shah,” Dr. Panja said. Ms. Chakraborty said that addressing a woman Chief Minister thus was a reflection of “patriarchy”. Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Moitra had raised objections to the manner in which the Prime Minister was addressing the Chief Minister.
The State BJP leadership reacted, saying that the language used by Ms. Banerjee to address the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the BJP president was derogatory. “How did the Chief Minister address Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah at poll rallies? How had she addressed J.P. Nadda [BJP national president],” asked Agnimitra Pual, president the West Bengal BJP Mahila Morcha.
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Mamata’s poser
Earlier in the day addressing a public meeting in Hooghly district, Ms. Banerjee wondered whether Mr. Modi was “god or a superhuman” to make claims of the BJP winning the West Bengal Assembly elections, even when polling for six phases still remained.
“What do you [Mr. Modi] think of yourself ... are you god or superhuman?” the Chief Minister asked, referring to the Prime Minister’s remark that he would attend the oath-taking ceremony of the BJP government in West Bengal.