Bharatiya Janata Party's nomination of Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh for the Asansol seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls sparks criticism from Trinamool Congress.
In a recent development, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for nominating Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh from the Asansol seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. O'Brien accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being anti-Bengali, alleging that the BJP is endorsing candidates who "speak ill of women."
Responding to O'Brien's comments, BJP leader Ajay Alok said that TMC leaders should visit Sandeshkhali to understand the actual situation before making such accusations. Pawan Singh later announced that he won't be contesting from the Asansol seat in the upcoming polls, without specifying the reasons for his decision.
Derek O'Brien said, "He came here, lectured on 'Nari Shakti' and then gave a ticket to someone who has vilified Bengali women. That's the 'Modi ki guarantee'. If you speak ill of Bengal, if you speak ill of women, we'll give you a ticket."
BJP leader Ajay Alok countered, stating, "Derek O'Brien should go to Sandeshkhali and see the atrocities against women, then he will realize who is anti-Bengali."
The decision to field Pawan Singh drew sharp criticism from TMC leaders, with Babul Supriyo expressing concern about the artist's videos targeting Bengali women. However, TMC leader Shatrughan Sinha refrained from commenting, labeling it as the BJP's internal matter.
Khera also questioned whether Prime Minister Modi was aware of Pawan Singh's image, stating, "This is an interesting case. All the agencies are under the control of the PM. Wasn't he aware of Pawan Singh's image? Now he gets to know that after 24 hours. This depicts what kind of government there is in the country."