‘You Told Them To Be Home By 8’: BJP Mocks Mamata Banerjee As She Hails Women In Blue For World Cup Win

India’s historic Women’s World Cup triumph turned into a political flashpoint on Monday after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s congratulatory message to the Women in Blue was met with a sharp retort from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Harmanpreet Kaur’s team lifted India’s maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy with a 52-run victory over South Africa at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, triggering an outpouring of national pride and celebration late into the night. But the moment soon became part of a heated political exchange online.

Mamata Banerjee took to X, soon after the win and praised the team’s performance, saying the entire nation was proud of their fight, resilience and achievement. She wrote that the Women in Blue had delivered “absolutely brilliant moments,” inspired an entire generation of girls and proved themselves to be a world-class team on the biggest stage.

However, the BJP quickly turned the celebratory moment into a political dig. Within an hour of her message, the party’s official X handle posted a sarcastic reply, saying, “OMG they were playing till 12. But you had told them to be home by 8.” The jibe referenced Banerjee’s controversial comments from last month in which she questioned why a gang-rape survivor was out late at night, stating that girls “should not be allowed to come outside after a certain time.”

Banerjee’s remark at the time had triggered widespread condemnation, with many accusing her of victim-blaming and shifting responsibility away from the state’s law-and-order machinery. The issue escalated into a full-blown political debate, with the BJP accusing her of trivialising women’s autonomy and safety. BJP leaders including Sukanta Majumdar and Gaurav Bhatia publicly criticised her, while the National Commission for Women called her statement “absurd.”

Meanwhile, Sunday night’s victory will go down as one of the most defining moments in Indian cricket. The match witnessed a stunning performance by 21-year-old opener Shafali Verma, who smashed a blistering 87 runs and later took two crucial wickets, turning the game in India’s favour.

Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates, some crying in disbelief during the anthem and trophy moment, ended India’s long wait for a Women’s Cricket World Cup title and completed a remarkable comeback after three losses in the group stage.

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