Kolkata: In response to trolling and abuse on X after photos of her with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at a dinner party surfaced, Trinamool Member of Parliament Maua Moitra responded: “The women of Bengal are living life. This is not a lie.
In a statement on X, Krishnanagar MP Moitra said, “What is most amusing is seeing some of my personal photographs being circulated on social media by the BJP troll sen. I like the green dress better than the white blouse. Why cut it, show it to the others at dinner. Women of Bengal live their lives. This is not a lie. Refusing to comment on the “private dinner” and other guests, Moitra said: “The BJP loses every time in Bengal because they carry out such below-the-belt attacks on women. They have done this to me and others in the past and they are doing it again.”
The images show Moitra holding a glass of wine and a cigar.
Reacting to this, sociologist Prasanta Ray said, “There is still a lot of prejudice against women drinking alcohol in our society. It is still believed that it can be enjoyed by men, not women. So, I fully support what Mahua Moitra said in her defence: Bengali women have a life. Why don’t women drink? Even though I only drink occasionally, I have shared a hook or two with many of my former students, including women.”
Ray added, “Also, I believe Mahua might not have been trolled if she had not been spotted by Shashi Tharoor. Ever since the scandal surrounding his wife’s death erupted a few years ago, Tharoor has attracted a lot of criticism both on social media and on social media.”
Filmmaker and professor of film studies at Jadavpur University Madhuja Mukherjee, who works on film industry, labor and gender, said: “While class privilege cannot be ruled out here, it is clear that everyone – of any gender – has the right to live the life of their choice. The moralistic tone of the trolls is, in fact, predictable. One can only laugh at such thoughtless comments, cropping of images, and sharing and re-sharing. But every time comments like this circulate, I am amazed at how a woman or trans woman is always the center of attention. Always, every time, always.”
Mukherjee added: “In many cases, such trolling ends in insults and even rape threats. This especially happens when someone strikes back. This happened to me and my students.”
In a statement on X, Krishnanagar MP Moitra said, “What is most amusing is seeing some of my personal photographs being circulated on social media by the BJP troll sen. I like the green dress better than the white blouse. Why cut it, show it to the others at dinner. Women of Bengal live their lives. This is not a lie. Refusing to comment on the “private dinner” and other guests, Moitra said: “The BJP loses every time in Bengal because they carry out such below-the-belt attacks on women. They have done this to me and others in the past and they are doing it again.”
The images show Moitra holding a glass of wine and a cigar.
Reacting to this, sociologist Prasanta Ray said, “There is still a lot of prejudice against women drinking alcohol in our society. It is still believed that it can be enjoyed by men, not women. So, I fully support what Mahua Moitra said in her defence: Bengali women have a life. Why don’t women drink? Even though I only drink occasionally, I have shared a hook or two with many of my former students, including women.”
Ray added, “Also, I believe Mahua might not have been trolled if she had not been spotted by Shashi Tharoor. Ever since the scandal surrounding his wife’s death erupted a few years ago, Tharoor has attracted a lot of criticism both on social media and on social media.”
Filmmaker and professor of film studies at Jadavpur University Madhuja Mukherjee, who works on film industry, labor and gender, said: “While class privilege cannot be ruled out here, it is clear that everyone – of any gender – has the right to live the life of their choice. The moralistic tone of the trolls is, in fact, predictable. One can only laugh at such thoughtless comments, cropping of images, and sharing and re-sharing. But every time comments like this circulate, I am amazed at how a woman or trans woman is always the center of attention. Always, every time, always.”
Mukherjee added: “In many cases, such trolling ends in insults and even rape threats. This especially happens when someone strikes back. This happened to me and my students.”