BJP MP Khagen Murmu and the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Bengal's North Malda constituency found himself in a controversy on Wednesday after a photo of him kissing a woman on the cheek during campaigning went viral on social media.
As per reports, the incident happened on Monday during the BJP candidate's campaign visit to Srihipur village in Chanchal within his parliamentary constituency.
Reacting to the incident, the Trinamool Congress wasted no time in condemning the BJP, denouncing the act as indicative of the party's "anti-women" stance. Dulal Sarkar, the Trinamool Congress's Malda district vice president, joined the chorus of criticism questioning the BJP.
Taking it to X ( formerly known as X) the All Indian Trinamool Congress said, "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 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."
In his defense, Murmu justified his actions, asserting that the woman in question is like "his child." He dismissed the criticism as a fabricated scheme orchestrated against him by political opponents.
The woman involved in the controversy also stepped forward to support Murmu, likening his affectionate gesture to that of a father-daughter relationship.
