(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Nov 12 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday described BJP leaders as habitual misogynists while reacting to a derogatory statement allegedly made by two-time BJP Lok Sabha member and the Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur.

Trinamool Congress issued a social media statement on Wednesday afternoon, and along with that it uploaded a purported video where Shantanu Thakur was heard and seen claiming that the face of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had become like a“bat-sucked mango" because of the fear of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the state.

IANS, however, could not verify the authenticity of the video.

“Misogyny isn't an accident in @BJP4India, it's their political culture. From the Prime Minister down to his foot soldiers, they have institutionalised the degradation of women in public life. Every time they fail to defeat Smt. @MamataOfficial's courage, clarity, and conviction, they resort to gutter-level abuse,” the social media statement issued by the Trinamool Congress read.

In the statement, the state's ruling party had claimed that Thakur's latest derogatory comments about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were part of the tradition set by senior BJP leaders which reflects the male-chauvinistic mindset of the saffron leaders.

“This isn't just misogyny, it's moral decay. From @narendramodi's vile 'Didi 'O Didi' catcall, to Giriraj Singh's 'thumka' remark, to Sukanta Majumdar's 'dhanda' slur, to Abhijit Gangopadhyay's obscene comments, each of these exposes the BJP's Nari-Birodhi mindset in its ugliest form,” the Trinamool Congress statement read.

According to it, Thakur's comments reflect the manner in which BJP leaders treat a female Chief Minister, who commands respect across the nation, and is also a reflection of the feeling of insecurity of the party's leaders.

“Their hatred for strong women is pathological. BJP cannot defeat Mamata Banerjee politically, so they try to demean her personally. But Bengal knows better, and people will respond where it hurts them most: At the ballot box,” the Trinamool Congress statement read.

The state BJP leaders have claimed that such an observation from Trinamool Congress is not acceptable since in the past their leaders, including the Chief Minister, had used derogatory language both about the Prime Minister as well as the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, at public meetings.

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