The National Commission for Women has also taken suo motu cognizance of the remarks made by Hakim and has directed the state chief secretary and Director General of Police “to invoke relevant legal provisions and conduct a fair and time-bound investigation” against the minister and Kolkata Mayor.

The NCW has sought a detailed report from the chief secretary and the DGP within three days.

Hakim made the alleged remarks on Patra while campaigning for the TMC candidate, Rabiul Islam, in Haroa for the Assembly bypolls, On Wednesday.

“Before the (Lok Sabha) elections, a bearded man came to West Bengal. Do you remember his name?… Narendra Modi. He came to Bengal and shed tears for Sandeshkhali. The BJP also announced a candidate from Sandeshkhali. Where is that candidate? She lost… BJP loses elections. It only knows how to file cases,” Hakim had said referring to BJP’s candidate from Basirhat Rekha Patra. Sandeshkhali falls under Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency. Patra, 31 — one of the alleged victims of sexual harassment by TMC strongmen in Sandeshkhali – was fielded by the BJP in Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to Hakim’s remarks, Patra said, “He (Hakim) not only showed disrespect to me but to our community and every woman of Sandeshkhali. I have no words to condemn this.”

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, wrote on X: “Rekha Patra, other than being a woman, belongs to the SC Poundra-Kshatriya community. This is demeaning not only towards her but also offensive towards her entire community,” adding that, “Also, a person who can be disdainful towards a woman, can only be expected to be disrespectful towards the PM.”

BJP leader Agnimitra Paul sharply objected to the remark, saying it showed the TMC government’s outlook towards women. Paul said, “It is a very cheap, sleazy word… a very disrespectful word towards women, and I am sure that not only Hakim, all the MPs, MLAs and the party members of TMC think like that.” — With PTI