Sougata Roy calls for removal of Kalyan Banerjee from TMC's Chief Whip position

In a fresh twist to the growing infighting within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), senior MP Sougata Roy publicly rebuked fellow MP Kalyan Banerjee over his recent comments and behaviour, which came to light after alleged internal WhatsApp group chats were leaked by the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Roy said, “I feel it is beneath my dignity to reply to what Kalyan Banerjee has said,” but went on to strongly criticise Banerjee's conduct over the years. He described Banerjee as someone “known for his intemperate and uncivilised behaviour” and cited past incidents to back his claim.

Roy recalled an incident where Banerjee allegedly called Jyotiraditya Scindia a “lady killer” in Parliament and later issued an apology. He also referred to an explosive moment during a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf issue, where Banerjee reportedly broke a bottle and hurled it at the chairman.

While Roy admitted he had so far remained silent out of self-respect, he felt compelled to speak up after hearing that Banerjee had made derogatory remarks against him in the TMC MPs’ WhatsApp group, now made public by BJP leader Amit Malviya.

He further urged the party’s top leadership to take strict action, stating, “Kalyan should be removed from the Chief Whip position of the Party immediately, but I leave it to Mamata Banerjee's judgement.” The remarks have exposed deep fissures within the TMC, especially at a time when the party is under heavy political scrutiny.

The backdrop to this internal feud is TMC MPs’ recent visit to the Election Commission of India (ECI), where they demanded clarification on the Aadhaar-EPIC (Voter ID) linkage and raised concerns over alleged voter identity fraud. It was during this visit that a public spat between Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad was caught on camera, adding fuel to the ongoing controversy.