Giriraj Singh's 'thumka' remark on Mamata sparks row

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh has erupted a controversy with his "misogynistic" comments targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on X shared a clip of an interview purportedly given by Singh to a TV channel in which the Bharatiya Janata Party leader referred to Banerjee and said, "Jashn mana rahi hai, thumke laga rahi hai, yeh uchit nahi hai (she is celebrating and dancing, this is inappropriate)."

Several leaders of the TMC slammed the rural development minister for his comments on the chief minister attending the Kolkata International Film Festival.

"The not so honourable minister of rural development Mr. Giriraj Singh has just made some shocking comments about the only lady chief minister in India, Mamata Banerjee," Moitra said in a post on X.

"Your shameful misogynistic comments about only lady CM in India reek of your sick perverted mentality. Yes, we love our jashn. We love our thumkas. We celebrate that BJP can never rule Bengal," she said.

Condemning the Singh's remark, West Bengal minister Shashi Panja said that even if Giriraj Singh apologised at this point, "it would be too less."

"We are full of anger...we would ask BJP who gave you the right to disrespect a woman? Giriraj Singh is a Union Minister holding a position of responsibility...the way he said such inappropriate thing, even if he apologizes, it's too less," she said.

TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen also raised the issue in the House during a debate on the economic situation in the country.

"I would like to strongly protest the pose and posture of one of our Cabinet ministers targeting the only lady chief minister of the country. I can show you the video if you want. It should be noted," he said.

Singh, however, has denied the allegations by the TMC and said that the party is trying to raise this issue to create confusion among people.

"You can see my tweet, I have said that Mamata Didi, the state that is suffering from corruption and where the rights of the poor are being snatched, you're making 'Jashn' there. Is saying 'Jashn' similar to 'thumka'. The people of TMC are trying to raise this issue to create confusion in people. This is my right to say that there's poverty, unemployment and corruption and the CM was present in the Film festival," he told ANI.

Meanwhile, Women Trinamool Congress MPs will stage a protest at the Parliament complex on Thursday against Giriraj Singh, PTI reported quoting TMC sources.

The TMC has two women members in the Rajya Sabha and seven women members in the Lok Sabha.

With inputs from PTI