BJP candidate Khagen Murmu faces flak over kissing woman during campaigning in West Bengal's Malda

As per reports, the incident occurred on Monday when Murmu was campaigning in Chanchal's Srihipur village in West Bengal.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from West Bengal's Malda Uttar constituency Khagen Murmu was seen kissing a woman on her cheeks during a campaign leading to a controversy as the pictures of the incident went viral on Wednesday.

BJP candidate from West Bengal's Malda Uttar constituency Khagen Murmu. (X/AITC)

As per reports, the incident occurred on Monday when Murmu was campaigning in Chanchal's Srihipur village in West Bengal. It was caught during a live streaming of the campaign, which was shared on the BJP candidate's Facebook page but was later deleted.

Ruling Trinamool Congress in the state shared the incident on X and said, “If you cannot believe what you just saw, let us clarify. Yes, this is BJP MP & Maldaha Uttar candidate @khagenmurmu kissing a woman on his own accord on his campaign trail. From MPs that sexually harass ween 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.”

 

As reported by India Today, TMC's Malda vice president Dulal Sarkar condemning the incident said that it was against the “Bengali culture”. He questioned if such an act was while the candidate was “begging for votes”.

Murmu did not deny the incident and instead said that the girl was like his child.

As reported by HT Bangla, Murmu said, “The picture was posted by someone from Trinamool and it is slightly edited. This is the reflection of their dirty mentality. The girl who is being kissed is a child of our family. Daughter of one of our workers, studying nursing in Bangalore. Good results. So I gave her a little care. We do the same to our own children. And both her parents were standing next to her. Even today I am campaigning in that area. No one took it badly. The Trinamool is scrambling for votes”

India Today quoted Murmu as saying that a complaint will be filed against TMC. He added, “There is nothing wrong with kissing a child. This is a complete grassroots conspiracy. They have such bad values. Parties and individuals are being defamed by distorting such pictures.”