Kolkata: Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, not on the same page as the Congress for a while, has ripped into Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Didi O Didi" jibe and questioned why there should be a double standard in law. If the Surat court's judgment for Rahul Gandhi - a two-year-jail term in a criminal defamation case - be taken as precedent, BJP leaders including the state's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and PM Modi, can also be sued, sentenced and disqualified, the party said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee said he wants a case filed against Mr Adhikari within a month for his comments against a minister belonging to Scheduled Caste.
Speaking to reporters today, Abhishek Banerjee insisted that with his "Didi-O-Didi catcall" ahead of the assembly elections in Bengal, PM Modi had "insulted all women".
"Should the PM of India's membership not be cancelled for insulting women by catcalling the CM with Didi O Didi? Why should his membership not be cancelled? He has insulted all women," Abhishek Banerjee said.
He also cited the comments of Bengal's leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on a Trinamool lawmaker belonging to a Scheduled Caste last year.
In November, the party had shared a video on twitter where Mr Adhikari is purportedly heard saying that Trinamool MLA Debnath Hansda and minister Birbaha Hansda are "kids" who "remain under his shoes".
"Why If 'Modi O Modi' hurts OBC sentiments and Rahul Gandhi is sentenced to two years... Why should the leader of opposition not be sentenced for two years?" Mr Banerjee said.
"Is the law separate for you? Just because I am Trinamool Congress the law is something for me and something else for you because you are with the BJP? I want to ask our legal cell, especially those who practice as lawyers, use this Surat court judgement as a weapon... I want a petition filed on this in a month," he added.
Trinamool has chosen to back Rahul Gandhi on the defamation and disqualification issue. But the party has made it clear that it is issue-based support since the matter creates a precedent and can be applied to any Opposition leader.
Mr Banerjee underscored the party's stance. "We have opposed Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. Not because it is Rahul Gandhi but because of the way he was disqualified because of a comment he made… Just because he said something about the Modi surname his membership was cancelled," he added.