New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday slammed party colleague Kakoli Ghosh for accusing him of verbally abusing her inside the Lok Sabha, questioning the timing of the complaint and alleging an ulterior motive.
Addressing a press conference, Banerjee questioned Ghosh over the allegations, asking the rationale behind the delay in the complaint. Stressing the rule that the Lok Sabha speaker must be immediately informed if any such incident occurs, he alleged that the TMC MP is "acting with a motive."
Also Read: 'Verbally abused me': TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh writes to Om Birla against Kalyan Banerjee
"After something happens on the floor, the Speaker must be informed immediately, that is the rule. Any incident must be reported to the Speaker without delay. As for the allegations being made, the question is who said what and when. The problem lies in their intentions. It seems they are acting with a motive, which raises my doubts," he said.
This comes after TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday seeking permission to lodge a formal complaint against party colleague Kalyan Banerjee, accusing him of repeatedly verbally abusing her inside the Lok Sabha.
In her letter to the Speaker, Dastidar sought intervention and action against Kalyan Banerjee, alleging that the behaviour reflected misogyny and was not limited to her alone.
"I seek your permission to lodge a formal complaint to you for redressal against Lok Sabha Member of AITC Kalyan Banerjee, who has repeatedly verbally abused me inside the Lok Sabha," she wrote.
Raising concerns over the treatment of women parliamentarians, Dastidar further said the alleged conduct was part of a broader pattern and demanded action.
Also Read: TMC's Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar resigns from all party posts
"This misogyny has been against many lady members and needs to be punished," the TMC MP stated in her complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Meanwhile, Dastidar has resigned from the post of president of the All India Trinamool Mahila Congress, citing concerns over alleged "misogynistic behaviour" within the party and a series of issues that she said had deeply troubled her conscience.
In a resignation letter, Dastidar said she was stepping down from the post of Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Mahila Congress, along with all other organisational posts, committees and responsibilities within the party.
