Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has accused fellow party member Kalyan Banerjee of verbal abuse and misogynistic behavior inside the Lok Sabha.
The complaint signals deepening internal factional tensions within the TMC, as two high-ranking members of the same party clash publicly over conduct within India's lower house of Parliament.
Ghosh Dastidar lodged a formal complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, May 28 [1]. She said that Banerjee repeatedly verbally abused her inside the Lok Sabha chamber in New Delhi [2]. According to the complaint, the behavior was not isolated to her alone, but represented a broader pattern of conduct toward women members of Parliament [2].
"Banerjee has ‘repeatedly verbally abused’ me inside the Lok Sabha chamber," Ghosh Dastidar said [2].
She said that the behavior requires official sanction to prevent further occurrences. "This misogyny has been against many women members and needs to be punished," she said [2].
In a separate statement, Ghosh Dastidar confirmed the action taken against her colleague. "I have lodged a complaint with the Speaker against Kalyan Banerjee for his abusive and misogynistic conduct," she said [3].
The dispute occurs amid a widening rift within the Trinamool Congress, as internal party disagreements become more visible to the public [1]. The complaint now rests with Speaker Om Birla, who oversees the conduct of members within the chamber.
“"This misogyny has been against many women members and needs to be punished."”
This public fallout between two Trinamool Congress lawmakers highlights a growing instability within the party's internal hierarchy. By escalating a personal dispute to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Ghosh Dastidar has moved a private party rift into a formal parliamentary record, which may force the TMC leadership to address internal disciplinary issues or risk further public damage to the party's image regarding women's rights.
