Bengal desperately needs governance but Mamata 'mocking, insulting' poor people, claims BJP

New Delhi: West Bengal is in desperate need of governance but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is "mocking and insulting" the poor people of the state and using public money in wasteful exercise to embellish her "depleted image", the BJP charged on Thursday.

The BJP's accusation came after women MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) held a protest in Parliament premises on Thursday against Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s recent "misogynistic" remarks targeting Banerjee.

The TMC MPs demanded that Singh be expelled from Parliament for his remarks.

Reacting sharply, BJP leader Amit Malaviya claimed in a post on X, "West Bengal is in desperate need of governance."

West Bengal is in desperate need of governance. Its physical infrastructure is crumbling, the poor health and education facilities have pushed the state down the HDI ranking, poverty and unemployment are on the rise, crime against women, Dalits and Tribals continues unabated,…

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 7, 2023

"Its physical infrastructure is crumbling, the poor health and education facilities have pushed the state down in the HDI ranking, poverty and unemployment are on the rise, crime against women, Dalits and tribals continues unabated, industries are shutting down and the state sees no new investments," he charged.

"In such a scenario, can Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee justify hosting film stars on taxpayers' money?" the BJP leader posed, adding, "It is nothing but a wasteful exercise in building up her own depleted image."

TMC leaders had on Wednesday shared on X a clip of an interview purportedly given by Giriraj Singh to a TV channel in which the BJP 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)."

Slamming the Union rural development minister for his comments on the West Bengal chief minister attending the Kolkata International Film Festival, the TMC's Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen on Wednesday 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.