Kolkata: Actor-turned BJP leader Joy Banerjee on Sunday sparked controversy over a sexist remark in which he insinuated that Baishaki Bandyopadhyay, a close friend of former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, is engaged in an extramarital affair.
Addressing a public meeting at East Bardhaman, Joy said, “Bengal is a place of love but certainly it is not the place for extramarital (affairs). People will not accept Baishaki Bandyopadhyay who is roaming around with another man bearing ‘sindoor’ despite having her husband. She doesn’t even have political experience.”
Joy’s statement came after both Sovan Chatterjee and Baishaki, who joined the saffron party on August 15, expressed their desire to quit the party following a meeting between state party president Dilip Ghosh and TMC MLA actor Deboshree Roy.
“Deboshree Roy is immensely popular in Bengal....People across the state love her. Recently, Sovan Chatterjee, once close to Mamata Banerjee, joined BJP along with Baishaki. They joined with a condition that Deboshree should not be given BJP’s membership. I would like to tell the central leadership that if Baishaki wants to leave, then let her leave. I did my first movie with Deboshree. She is known as ‘glamour queen’. I request my senior party leaders to induct Deboshree in the BJP,” the BJP leaders said.
The meeting between Dilip Ghosh and Deboshree irked Sovan and Baishaki but so far there has not been any official announcement about if they will remain with the BJP. Joy made his acting debut opposite Debashree Roy in a movie called ‘Aparupa’ which was directed by Bidesh Sarkar.
He joined the BJP in 2014 and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Birbhum against sitting MP and Tollywood actress Satabdi Roy. He lost again in 2019 Lok Sabha Election from Uluberia as BJP candidate against TMC sitting MP Sajda Ahmed.
“I had a word with Deboshree after being requested by TMC MP Mahua Moitra. Deboshree was having some issue with her NGO and she wanted to discuss it with me,” BJP president Dilip Ghosh told News18 denying reports that Deboshree Roy had met the leader over plans to join his party.
Reacting to Joy’s comments against Ghosh said, “There are people in the party who decides whom to give membership or whom we shouldn’t. Let them do their job and I think one should avoid making such comment during public rallies.”
Joy unavailable for comment.
Earlier, on September 2015, Joy struck controversy after he had said that the Election Commission of India was under his party’s control.
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