BJP state president Dilip Ghosh with actor-politician Locket Chatterjee at a press meet in Kolkata on Monday. (Express Photo by Partha Paul) BJP state president Dilip Ghosh with actor-politician Locket Chatterjee at a press meet in Kolkata on Monday. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

A DAY after West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said Centre had no right to decide on how a person will live with his wife, BJP moved the state Commission for Women accusing him of speaking “against the rights of women” and “demeaning the process of empowerment of women.” BJP also slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress for siding with Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in opposing abolition of triple talaq in the country, saying it was playing vote bank politics without considering the plight of 1.5 crore Muslim women in West Bengal.

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“We strongly condemn comments made by the state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee during the event hosted by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leader and TMC cabinet minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury,”said actor-politician and state BJP secretary Locket Chatterjee. Criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for sending two of her senior ministers — Partha and Firhad Hakim — to the rally, Locket said BJP has sent a complaint to the state Women’s Commission against contents of their speech there.

Jamiat was joined by TMC on November 5 in a protest rally against the BJP-led NDA government’s stand on triple talaq issue in connection with a case in the Supreme Court. Addressing the rally, Partha had targeted Prime Minister Marendra Modi. “Who are you to decide how I will live with my wife. You will not be able to grow a lotus here. You will not be able to gain grounds in Bengal. I assure Siddiqullah that we will stand by him in the fight.”

In its complaint, the BJP said: “They spoke openly against the rights of women and demeaned the process of empowerment of women”. Locket said the complaint was related to “their (the three ministers) alleged inflammatory advocacy of deprivation of women’s rights and publicly renouncing the proceedings of the Supreme Court in the matter of rights of women issue.”

A copy of the complaint has also been forwarded to the chairperson of National Commission for Women, she said. Locket also accused Mamata of playing votebank politics. “Chief Minister and her ministers are supporting triple talaq for vote bank politics and are using the sentiments of the minority community only for narrow political gains.

The CM, despite being a woman, is trying to push 1.5 crore Muslim women in the state into darkness and a life of uncertainty when BJP is trying to ensure equal rights for them,” she claimed. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “It is intriguing that a woman CM has taken a stand in favour of triple talaq against all Muslim women and their rights. Mamata Banerjee alleges that BJP is a communal party, but this goes on to show that it is the chief minister herself who is doing communal politics.” While the state Commission for Women chief Sunanda Mukherjee could not be contacted, Lalitha Kumarmangalam, chairperson, NCW, said that they have not received any such letter.

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