A brief slip of the tongue by BJP MP Abhijit Ganguly during a parliamentary session has sparked widespread discussion and political sniping. While speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Tamluk MP accidentally referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Narendra Vajpayee,” unintentionally merging the name of the current Prime Minister with that of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Gangopadhyay, a former Calcutta High Court judge who joined politics earlier this year, immediately corrected himself. But the moment was enough to set off reactions across political circles.
Members of the Trinamool Congress quickly seized on the gaffe, using it to mock the BJP and highlight what they described as the party’s repeated lapses in public statements. Some TMC leaders even linked the incident to an earlier controversy where Modi had referred to writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as “Bankim-da,” a remark that drew criticism in Bengal for being culturally inappropriate.
Within the BJP, leaders downplayed the episode, calling it a harmless verbal slip that was corrected instantly. They argued that such mistakes are common in high-pressure parliamentary debates and should not be exaggerated for political mileage.
Ganguly later admitted the error, saying he “slipped” while speaking but made the correction right away.
Despite its trivial nature, the mix-up has added a fresh spark to the ongoing political exchanges in the winter session, demonstrating how even minor moments inside Parliament can turn into talking points beyond it.