Strict action needed against Bengal BJP chief for his 'anti-woman' statement: NCP

Nationalist Congress Party general secretary Devi Prasad Tripathi on Tuesday said strict action should be taken against West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh for his anti-women comment against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"We all have asked for strict action against West Bengal BJP president for his statement. It was not just anti-democracy and anti-humanity, but was an anti-woman statement as well, and for that, stringent action should be taken against him," Tripathi told ANI.

However, reprimanding the 'fatwa' issued Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Mosque imam Maulana Noor-ur Rahman Barkati against Ghosh, the NCP general secretary said, "There was no need at all for the Tipu Sultan Mosque imam to act foolishly."

The BJP state chief had said, "When Mamata was doing her theatrics in Delhi, we could have dragged her away by her hair if we wanted to. Our police were there, but we didn't do it."

As BJP leader and Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre was ready for a debate, and therefore, the opposition parties should allow in Parliament to function, Tripathi said, "The opposition parties had said a few days back to resume the debate without any rule, then why did not they do it? Even if Venkaiah Naidu and the BJP start the debate now, it will be good because only few days are left for it."

When asked about China's statement where its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that its position on India's entry to the NSG as well as designating Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as terrorist by the United Nations remains unchanged, the NCP leader said, "China should not take such a stand, because it is not just ant-India, but also against international relations. On the one hand, China is supporting terrorism (by supporting Pakistan), and on the other, it is against India's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, even as the entire world is backing India's bid."

Shuang said, "As for India's application to join the NSG and the listing matter of the UN Security Council 1267 Committee, China's position is very clear and unchanged."

The spokesperson added that in recent years, the strategic partnership for cooperation between India and China has made all-around progress and that it is normal for the two big countries who are also close neighbours to differ on some issues.

"But the main theme for the bilateral relationship is friendship and cooperation, while differences are secondary," he added.

He made the remark when asked about Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's statement that both China and India should respect each other's legitimate aspirations, and that China should not give political colour to India's efforts to access civilian nuclear technology.