Abhishek slams Shah for ‘Ei Didi’ jibe, BJP calls row ‘bid to deceive’
Times of India | 23 April 2026
Kolkata: Trinamool on Wednesday sharpened its attack on Union home minister Amit Shah for addressing CM Mamata Banerjee as "Ei Didi" at a rally in Salboni the previous day. BJP dismissed the controversy as a "deliberate attempt to mislead people".
Speaking at a rally in Deganga, North 24 Parganas, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: "Yesterday, the country's home minister referred to our CM — elected by 10 crore people — as ‘Ei Didi'. Five years ago, the Prime Minister said ‘Didi, O Didi'. Now this. I firmly believe they have lost their minds."
"They have realised that despite everything — central forces, ED, CBI, courts, social media, thousands of crores spent, money given to ISF, AJUP, CPM and Congress — nothing is working. Because everyone is with them, but the people are with Trinamool," Banerjee added.
Banerjee further said: "On one side stand the PM, home minister, defence minister, finance minister, 16 BJP chief ministers, 28 governors, the EC and ED — all ganged up together. On the other stands Didi, backed by 10 crore people. And yet these outsider zamindars can't leave a scratch. To those who underestimate Bengal — if the people so wish, it won't take five seconds to crush their arrogance."
BJP rejected the charge. "None in BJP will show disrespect to any woman. Amit Shah has always referred to Mamata Banerjee as ‘Mamata Didi' or ‘Didi'. This is being misconstrued to deceive people," said a Bengal BJP neta.