WhatsApp chats leaked! TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s spat with ‘woman MP’ goes viral, he says ‘our MP who came from BJP…’

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee’s bitter altercation with a ‘woman MP’ went viral after it was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by BJP leader Amit Malviya. While the 4 videos recorded secretly when a TMC disposition including Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien went to Election Commissioon of India (ECI), and WhatsApp chats of a purported group labelled ‘AITC MP 2024’ were leaked, a defiant Kalyan Banerjee held a press conference. In that Banerjee went on a tirade against fellow TMC MPs including senior colleague Saugata Roy, and Kirti Azad.

Kalyan Banerjee blamed ‘our MPs who came from the BJP’, seemingly hitting out at Kirti Azad for the debacle that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC found itself in on Tuesday.

Let’s take a look at the infighting that media dubbed ‘political crisis’ within TMC

Kalyan Banerjee vs ‘Woman MP’ Video, TMC WhatsApp group chat leaked

BJP leader Amit Malviya on Tuesday shared videos purportedly capturing an altercation between two TMC MPs from last week.

TMC MP’s Veral Spat Video Leaked on X

The videos showed Kalyan Banerjee shouting at his colleagues, even as party leaders, including Derek O’Brien try to calm him down. The latter was heard saying ‘please rother I am begging you’ to Kalyan Banerjee.

“On 4th April 2024, two TMC MPs had a public spat at the headquarters of the Election Commission of India, where they had gone to submit a representation. It appears the party had instructed its MPs to gather at the Parliament office to sign the memorandum before proceeding to the EC. However, the MP carrying the memorandum skipped the Parliament meeting and went directly to the EC,” Malviya said in a post on X.

Malviya claimed Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee reportedly asked both MPs to stand down.

TMC WhatsApp Group Chat Leaked

The feud spilled onto a WhatsApp chat group ‘AITC MP 2024’, where Kalyan Banerjee had a tiff party MP from Durgapur, Kirti Azad, with Banerjee referring to an unknown “versatile international lady?”

In the purported WhatsApp chat, Banerjee, in a message, said he has reached Kolkata, and added, “Send your bsf and Delhi police to arrest me. Your home ministry’s connection is very strong, international great lady.”

“Today I congratulate the gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of a versatile international lady. That day not a single boyfriend of her stood behind her. This foolish man whom she wanted to arrest by bsf, stood behind her. Today of course 30 years famous player stood behind her to get me arrested,” another message by Banerjee read.

In response, Kirti Azad asked Banerjee to not act like a “juvenile delinquent.”

“… I have no axe to grind with you. I humbly request you as a senior in age to me, not in politics to kindly take everyone together. Stop your childish and erratic behaviour. Act like an adult. Don’t instigate anybody. Think with the cool mind. Good night,” he wrote.

A still unrelenting Banerjee threw a few more sallies at Azad, one of which was his terming him a “captain of … internal politics.”

Kalyan Banerjee’s Explosive Press Conference

At a press conference in Kolkata on Tuesday, TMC’s Serampore MP and party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Kalyan Banerjee, targeted Durgapur MP Kirti Azad and a ‘woman MP’.

Kalyan Banerjee, referring to the woman MP, said, “She never fought against the CPI(M). She came to the party after 2009 as a friend of a Congress leader and entered district politics. All their backgrounds are like that. Why will I obey her? I am naturally annoyed. She says someone like me should be put in jail, saying I used indecent words. She is completely lying.”

Banerjee added, “The lady has an agenda only to attack Narendra Modi and Adani. She serves the interests of other industrialists. I know everything.”

Targeting Kirti Azad, Banerjee said, “One of our MPs who came from the BJP and has no popularity sent this video and WhatsApp chat to the BJP. They never fought against CPI(M). They are tarnishing our party’s image. He was running a signature campaign for a sweet shop to open its outlet in Parliament. I protested against that. It was not the agenda of our party. It was his agenda.”

Banerjee also criticised senior TMC MP from Dum Dum Saugata Roy saying, “Saugata has tarnished the party’s image more than once. He was seen taking money in the Narada video.”

Saugata Roy responded, “I am so sad. The party’s image is getting affected because of his behaviour. He has no balance. I don’t know why I am being targeted. He has an inferiority complex. The party will decide what action will be taken against him. Everyone wanted our party leader to know. My opinion is that Kalyan should not be the chief whip anymore.”

What Happened on EC Premises? Why were TMC MPs Fighting?

A heated argument erupted among TMC MPs after a woman MP discovered her name missing from the list of signatories during a visit to the Election Commission (EC). According to a TMC MP quoted by The Indian Express, tensions began when the party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha, Kalyan Banerjee, skipped a pre-arranged meeting at the TMC office in Parliament and went directly to the EC office. This upset some MPs, and matters escalated when the woman MP realised her name had been replaced by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s, who was absent from Parliament that day. Confronting Banerjee over the omission, the woman MP alleged Kalyan Banerjee used derogatory language, prompting her to demand his arrest by security officials present.

Banerjee reportedly lost his temper and retaliated with further offensive remarks.

Another TMC MP revealed to Indian Express that the woman initially wanted to file a police complaint against Banerjee in Delhi but was persuaded by colleagues to address the issue with Mamata Banerjee.