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New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has strongly criticised BJP leader Kalipada Sengupta over his remarks suggesting that men should lock up their wives—particularly Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries—to prevent them from voting for the Trinamool Congress. The comments were reportedly made at a rally in Dantan, West Midnapore, on Saturday.
While the BJP asserted that it has no connection with the remarks, Sengupta did not express regret over his comments.
Speaking at the rally, Sengupta said, “There are mothers who are benefiting from Lakshmir Bhandar and will vote for the TMC. I urge their husbands to keep them under lock and key. Votes should be cast for the BJP, not the TMC.” Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar addressed the gathering shortly after Sengupta but refrained from commenting on the issue.
Reacting strongly, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee shared a hard-hitting post on X, accusing the BJP of deploying a “Bangla-birodhi toolkit.” He alleged that attempts to delete voters had been continuing since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and claimed that the BJP had now descended into feudal and patriarchal barbarism by suggesting that husbands lock up their wives to prevent “empowered women” from voting.
Banerjee also alleged that the BJP had threatened to discontinue the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Additionally, he claimed that the opposition had described Bengali Hindus as “selling themselves for Rs 50” and dismissed direct financial aid to women as “alms.”
He further alleged that the BJP was now intimidating women as their votes posed a threat to the party’s electoral prospects. “In 2026, Bengal’s women will march into polling booths and bury the BJP’s regressive, Bangla-birodhi (anti-Bengal) and nari-birodhi (anti-women) politics forever,” Banerjee said.
State Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja also condemned the remarks, saying BJP leaders had made objectionable comments about Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries by calling them “beggars.” “Bengal’s women have responded through their votes. The BJP is afraid,” she added.
State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya echoed similar sentiments, stating that women are the driving force of Bengal and will not tolerate such behaviour in silence.
