BJP candidate Khagen Murmu, contesting in the Lok Sabha polls from Malda Uttar constituency in West Bengal, courted controversy when he kissed a woman on her cheeks during the campaign.
Pictures of the incident went viral on Wednesday.
According to media reports, the incident took place when the BJP candidate was campaigning in Srihipur village Chanchal. The incident was live-streamed on the Facebook page of Murmu. The streaming was deleted later.
The TMC took to X to slam the BJP candidate and the party over the incident saying “BJP camp has no dearth of anti-women politicians.”
“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,” the TMC tweet read.
“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.”
Murmu justified his action saying the woman he kissed was like his child. “There is nothing wrong with kissing a child. This is a complete grassroots conspiracy. They have such bad values,” he was quoted as saying.
Murmu warned that a complaint would be filed against TMC for defaming him and his party with such “distorted pictures.”
The woman too defended the BJP leader, asking what is the problem if a man kisses a woman like she is his own daughter. “Khagen Murmu loves me like a daughter. My father and mother were also present when the picture was taken,” she said, reported India Today.
(With inputs from agencies)
