Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien wears a T-shirt mocking BJP's Amit Shah
Taking a leaf out of a global playbook, where fashion has long been used as a political statement, Trinamool Congress has designed a T-shirt for party workers to flaunt and attack its opponent - BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The T-shirt bearing a cartoon of Mr Shah's face along with the caption "India's Biggest Pappu" comes in white, black and yellow.
The BJP had coined Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with the epithet "Pappu", which Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is now using to use to mock Mr Shah.
The Trinamool Congress is eager to make the most of this T-shirt campaign during Durga Puja in October first week when a large number of people visit pandals across West Bengal.
"Mocking is the most powerful form of communicating. It started from the comment made by our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and it became a trend on social media. Then it came on T-shirts," Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien told PTI.
While talking to reporters on September 2 after he was questioned for over seven hours by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a coal smuggling case, Abhishek Banerjee had described Mr Shah as "India's biggest Pappu".
The very day, Mr Banerjee's cousins Akash Banerjee and Aditi Gayen posted photographs on social media wearing T-shirts with a cartoon of Mr Shah and the "Pappu" slogan.
Trinamool Congress sources said Mr Banerjee is guiding young party workers on new designs of the apparel which is sold at a "nominal price" of Rs 300 apiece.
"Initially, the T-shirts were available online. Now, one can get them in wholesale markets," Mr O'Brien said.
Three to four designs are available and more are coming to the market ahead of Durga Puja, said the MP who himself tweeted photos and a video donning such a T-shirt in white near the parliament building.
"College students and young party enthusiasts who are not more than 25 years old are creating those t-shirts. They do not want to be named. But the designs, I would say, are mind-blowing," Mr O'Brien said.
He also wore the t-shirt on a flight from Kolkata to Delhi.
Several Trinamool Congress supporters have tweeted photos wearing the T-shirt mocking Mr Shah.
"The Congress should like this campaign. The BJP used this term to mock their leader. Now the BJP is getting back their own medicine," Mr O'Brien said.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha said this "personal attack" would be a flop show.
"The TMC (Trinamool Congress) has no issue to fight the BJP. That is why they are targeting people personally. It shows that the party is heading towards the end," Mr Sinha said.