Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim.
Credit: X/@FirhadHakim
Kolkata: Senior TMC minister Firhad Hakim on Friday apologised following backlash over an alleged sexist remark he made against BJP leader Rekha Patra, the face of Sandeshkhali protests, stating that he did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings.
The apology comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, demanding censure against Hakim in the by-poll campaign.
During a recent by-poll campaign at the Haroa assembly constituency, Hakim who is also Kolkata Mayor reportedly referred to Patra as "heroo maal," a term considered derogatory and objectifying towards women, sparking a controversy between the TMC and BJP ahead of by-polls next week.
Hakim had allegedly remarked on Patra’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year from Basirhat, from where the BJP fielded her following her role in protests in Sandeshkhali.
During his speech earlier this week, Hakim had said, “The BJP announced a candidate from Sandeshkhali. Where is that candidate? She (Rekha Patra) lost... ‘heroo maal’. She later lodged cases against our candidate. The BJP only knows how to file cases.” A video clip in which the TMC leader was heard making the comment had gone viral, sparking immediate backlash from BJP leaders.
PTI, however, could not verify the authenticity of the video.
Hakim, a senior state cabinet minister, told reporters on Friday afternoon: “I did not intend to disrespect or hurt the feelings of women.” “If my words have hurt her (Rekha), I am truly sorry. I would never even dream of disrespecting any woman. My leader is a woman; my mother, wife, daughters, and granddaughters are all women. We honour women in Bengal, which is why we celebrate Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja, and Saraswati Puja. Disrespecting women is not in our culture,” he said.
In the wake of the controversy, Rekha Patra criticized Hakim’s language, calling it “deeply offensive” and an attack on women in West Bengal.
Patra was a prominent face in protests in Sandeshkhali earlier this year, where she led demonstrations against alleged land-grabbing and sexual exploitation by local TMC leaders.
Senior BJP leader Shishir Bajoria on Friday complained to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal and demanded that Hakim be immediately censured.
“We request the ECI to immediately censure Firhad Hakim, who has in the past many times crossed the Lakshman Rekha and violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),” he wrote to the CEO.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also demanded legal action against Hakim, stating that the remark disrespected not only Patra but also her community.
“Rekha Patra, other than being a woman, belongs to the SC Poundra-Kshatriya community. This is demeaning not only towards her but also offensive towards her entire community,” Adhikari posted on X.