TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh(L) and BJP leader Agnimitra Paul.
Credit: X/@KunalGhoshAgain, PTI Photo
Kolkata: Women BJP activists on Wednesday demonstrated in front of the residence of TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh in Kolkata in protest against his alleged comments against saffron party leader Agnimitra Paul.
Around 50 activists of the BJP's Mahila Morcha raised slogans against Ghosh, the TMC state general secretary, near his residence at Sukia Street-APC Road Crossing.
They alleged that Ghosh had used abusive words against Paul, the BJP state women's wing president, during a talk show at a leading Bengali TV channel on Tuesday evening. Paul was also present during the programme.
The agitators alleged that his comments about Paul hurt the dignity of the women.
Police personnel, including women law enforcers, had a tough time trying to persuade the BJP activists to leave the spot as another group of TMC activists assembled nearby and raised counter-slogans. Traffic was disrupted on one flak of the busy crossing for around half an hour.
Paul, who was not present during the stir, claimed while speaking to reporters in another part of the city that Ghosh had used unparliamentary words against her and that it was a 'virulent comment against the women of West Bengal, who are seen as embodiments of goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Kali'.
"Our women are protesting against such tasteless, indecent words. It is unimaginable that such misogynist comments can ever be made by any person, by any leader from Bengal against a woman," she said.
Dismissing the BJP's allegations, Ghosh said, "I have great respect for her (Paul) as a fashion designer. But when she flagged the Narada scam, I told her that she was indulging in double-speak by accompanying (leader of opposition) Suvendu Adhikari to Sandeshkhali on one hand, and on the other referring to the Narada scam in which her party boss is also an accused and joined the BJP to escape arrest by the CBI."
"She brought up the Narada sting operation to implicate me and other TMC leaders although I was never seen in any video and she conveniently overlooked the role of Adhikari, who was seen in a video. I pointed out this inconsistency in her speech as a panellist... why is she hammering the womanhood issue here?"
He said the 'spirit of his comment was deliberately being twisted' by the BJP.
CPI(M) leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya, when asked for a reaction, decried the alleged comments of Ghosh.
"We are against such remarks and personal attacks. These are highly objectionable," he said.