Councillors spar it out over "Bankim Da, Hijab-Ghoonghat, Mini Pakistan" during KMC session

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting witnessed unprecedented scenes of aggression on Thursday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP councilors nearly came to blows. The primary spark for the tension was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remark in Parliament, where he referred to the legendary author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as "Bankim Da." TMC councilor Arup Chakraborty launched a scathing attack on the remark, calling it an insult to Bengal's cultural icon, which was immediately countered by BJP’s Sajal Ghosh. The verbal spat escalated so rapidly that a physical scuffle was barely avoided, forcing Mayor Firhad Hakim to intervene and pacify both sides.

As the session progressed, the focus shifted from cultural politics to local administrative failures. A heated exchange erupted between BJP's Meena Purohit and TMC's Mahesh Sharma over the lack of development work in their respective wards. Meena Purohit accused the ruling party of neglecting opposition-led wards, leading to a loud "tu-tu main-main" (verbal sparring) that echoed through the chamber. The Mayor was seen struggling to maintain order as both veteran leaders refused to back down, highlighting the deep-seated friction over civic amenities.

The chaos didn't end there, as the Mayor himself was drawn into a sharp argument with Meena Purohit during a discussion on drainage and infrastructure. The session, which was intended to address the city’s pressing civic issues, was repeatedly disrupted by slogans and personal jibes. Saugata Roy’s earlier interjection in the Lok Sabha regarding the same "Bankim Da" comment seemed to provide the fuel for the local TMC leaders to turn the KMC floor into a political protest site.

Despite the Mayor’s repeated pleas for decorum, the session ended on a bitter note with very little substantial work being discussed. The frequent outbursts and the standoff between Arup Chakraborty and Sajal Ghosh underscored the widening gap between the two political camps in the city's civic body. Observers noted that the "Bankim Da" controversy has now moved beyond the halls of Parliament, becoming a major flashpoint for identity politics in Bengal's local governance.