Kolkata: As Lok Sabha elections approach, the political pitch is reaching a crescendo, nothwithstanding the rising mercury.
Complaints and counter complaints by political parties and candidates against their rivals, various promises to woo voters are the order of the day in this election season.
But when a candidate plants a kiss on a woman’s cheek while campaigning in full public view, it’s bound to stir a controversy.
As pictures of Khagen Murmu, BJP’s candidate from West Bengal’s Malda Uttar constituency, kissing a woman on her cheeks surfaced on Internet, they went viral on Wednesday.
According to reports, the incident took place on Monday when Murmu was campaigning in Srihipur village in West Bengal. The kissing act was captured during a live streaming of Murmu’s campaign, which was shared on the BJP candidate’s Facebook page – before being deleted following a backlash.
But the damage was done with Trinamool Congress (TMC) sharing the incident on X.
“If you cannot believe what you just saw, let us clarify. Yes, this is BJP MP & Maldaha Uttar candidate @khagenmurmu kissing a woman on his own accord on his campaign trail. From MPs that sexually harass women wrestlers to leaders who make obscene songs about Bengali women; BJP camp has no dearth of anti-women politicians. This is how Modi Ka Parivar engages in Nari Ka Samman! Imagine what they would do if they came to power,” TMC posted from its official handle All India Trinamool Congress.
If you cannot believe what you just saw, let us clarify. Yes, this is BJP MP & Maldaha Uttar candidate @khagen_murmu kissing a woman on his own accord on his campaign trail.
From MPs that sexually harass women wrestlers to leaders who make obscene songs about Bengali women, BJP… pic.twitter.com/f0PKdaDDn5
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 9, 2024
Murmu defended his act, saying that the girl was like his child.
“The picture was posted by someone from Trinamool and it is slightly edited. This is the reflection of their dirty mentality. The girl who is being kissed is a child of our family. Daughter of one of our workers, studying nursing in Bangalore. Good results. So I gave her a little care. We do the same to our own children. And both her parents were standing next to her. Even today I am campaigning in that area. No one took it badly. The Trinamool is scrambling for votes,” HT Bangla quoted Murmu as saying.
Murmu will file a complaint against TMC, reported India Today.
“There is nothing wrong with kissing a child. This is a complete grassroots conspiracy. They have such bad values. Parties and individuals are being defamed by distorting such pictures,” Murmu said.
