If you thought the fake ‘flying kiss’ episode in Parliament was the sleazy underbelly of Indian politics, think again. Instead, look east at Kolkata. A sleaze-fest that has unfolded there over the last few days cannot be dismissed as insignificant. It contains seeds that might rupture the I.N.D.I.A story at a most inconvenient time.
The war of words between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—allies in I.N.D.I.A but irreconcilable in West Bengal — could rock the boat in New Delhi, when it will probably matter the most. The national general secretary of TMC Abhishek Banerjee and CPI-M politburo member and state secretary Md Salim have locked horns.
Russian lady, tweet war & ED
A carefully crafted front-page report on 7 August in West Bengal’s leading regional language newspaper Anand Bazaar triggered the fight between the two politicians. Peppered with “ED sources”, the report takes no names but claims that “influential” persons in the state were laundering money via overseas bank accounts held by foreign women, from Russia to the Philippines.
“Accounts for rent, link is Russian lady; Influential persons’ money now with 15 foreign women” the headline said.
A similar report, published on 31 July in the same newspaper, did not stir the pot but its headline was no less provocative. “Influential person’s money parked with foreign resident Russian girl-friend”, it said. No names were mentioned but the report made references to investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into West Bengal’s coal, cattle and teachers’ job scams. Banerjee is being probed for some of them.
The 7 August report, however, set the cat among the pigeons.
Between Banerjee, who is currently in New York, or Salim in Kolkata, it is not clear who reacted first.
Banerjee’s reaction was tangential. He said nothing about the news report but attacked ED in a tweet the same day.
“Truly disheartening to behold the presence of inept and incompetent individuals within the ranks of the Enforcement Department (ED), who possess an unparalleled talent for disseminating concocted tales to the media on a bi-weekly basis, all in the service of their political benefactors,” said his lengthy post on the microblogging site.
TRUTH is MIGHTY and will PREVAIL. 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/d4jff2T3cq
— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 7, 2023
Salim waded in with words that even his biggest admirers must have found cringeworthy.
“MP-cum-mafia don involved in multiple scams from coal smuggling to teacher recruitment crimes shares selfie from NYC. His escape from the country was aided by BJP bosses. Allegedly he used accounts of 15 foreign prostitutes to park is ill-giotten(sic) wealth,” he tweeted, sharing the controversial report that had a photo of Banerjee in dark glasses.
MP-cum-mafia don involved in multiple scams from coal smuggling to teacher recruitment crimes shares selfie from NYC. His escape from the country was aided by BJP bosses.
Allegedly he used accounts of 15 foreign prostitutes to park his ill-giotten wealthhttps://t.co/qVx8G7gJx5
— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) August 7, 2023
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh responded with an equally distasteful potshot at Salim.
“This happened some years ago,” he tweeted. “Claiming that he had some party work, a famous leader went with a lady to a hotel in a certain state. His plane ticket and hotel documents were dropped off at his home by another leader of the party, we were also given copies. There was terrific trouble. Out of courtesy, we didn’t print anything. Do you know anything about this matter, Md Salim?”
কয়েকবছর আগের কথা।
পার্টির কাজ আছে বলে এক নামী নেতা বান্ধবীর সঙ্গে একটি রাজ্যের হোটেলে চলে যান। তাঁর বিমান এবং হোটেলের কাগজ তাঁর বাড়িতে দেন পার্টিরই আরেক নেতা, আমাদেরও দেন। চূড়ান্ত অশান্তি হয়। আমরা সৌজন্যের খাতিরে তখন ছাপিনি।এবিষয়ে আপনার কিছু জানা আছে মহম্মদ সেলিম?
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) August 7, 2023
One good sleaze begets another. That truly is the lesson to take from this episode. Just as after the ‘flying kiss’ incident, social media is suddenly full of hateful content about Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s personal past. Nothing in politics merits this level of viciousness. It’s astounding how many otherwise sane individuals are flirting with below the belt barbs against the minister.
Also read: Bongo, Bangla, Paschim Banga—West Bengal’s demand for name change was never taken seriously
Game of silence
The ED’s deathly silence on the reports allegedly based on its sources is conspicuous. It is a silence fraught with possibilities and open to interpretation and both sides—CPI(M) and TMC—are making the most of it, somewhat short-sightedly.
The CPI(M) claims the TMC and ED are playing footsie, with the ED acting on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) instructions. Salim claims Banerjee’s visit to Dubai and the US for an eye check-up after the ED waived its lookout notice against him has the BJP’s blessings.
The TMC is wondering if ED is playing the BJP’s game of silence to sow discord within I.N.D.I.A. The ‘misuse of central agencies’ is a major opposition plank. If a member of the alliance is singled out for kid-glove treatment, others will wonder.
The exchange of sleazy potshots is not helping. The TMC held protests outside Salim’s house in Kolkata against his tweet on Banerjee. And the TMC leader has sent a legal notice to Salim: apologise or face defamation. Both are taking positions they will struggle to disengage from in the future. It may cost I.N.D.I.A dearly in 2024.
The author is a senior journalist based in Kolkata. She tweets @Monideepa62. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)