BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday found himself mired in another controversy when he dubbed “jihadi” a group of people in Budge Budge, mostly women, protesting the Centre’s MGNREGA funds freeze.

Majumdar’s “jihadi” comment came amid protesters heckling him with go-back slogans and black flags, besides calling him a “chor (thief)” and a “dangabaj (riot-monger)”.

A Bengal BJP leader, who called the controversy “unnecessary”, said the women Majumdar accused of being “jihadi” were “very clearly Hindu”.

Last Thursday, Majumdar had hurled a cutout of a picture of a pair of white-and-blue Hawaii sandals — akin to what chief minister Mamata Banerjee wears — which had hit a Sikh CISF jawan’s turban, infuriating the Sikh community.

A week later, Majumdar called his hecklers “jihadi”, accusing the Diamond Harbour TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee of having put them up to the protest.

Many of the women protesters demanded the immediate unblocking of central dues to Bengal, especially under the 100-day employment guarantee scheme, which he on several occasions proudly claimed credit for having halted. Shoes were allegedly hurled at Majumdar.

Amid the hostile reception, under security cover of the police and paramilitary forces, the visibly uncomfortable Balurghat MP briefly met an injured local BJP worker that he had come to visit.

Later, he spent two-and-a-half hours with governor C.V. Ananda Bose at Raj Bhavan in a huddle with BJP workers “victimised in TMC-sponsored violence”.

“Sukanta (Majumdar) has suddenly started trying to match Suvendu (Adhikari) in belligerence, which is uncharacteristic of him. In the process, he has been committing faux pas after faux pas,” said a BJP state unit insider. “The women he accused of being ‘jihadi’ are very clearly Hindu,” he added.

The Trinamool Congress has expressed outrage against Majumdar. “The Bengal BJP chief, who is an educator, was questioned by women in Budge Budge as to why the Centre was depriving Bengal of MGNREGA funds. In response, Sukanta Majumdar branded these women of Bengal as ‘jihadi’,” said Bengal industries minister Shashi Panja.

“Day after day, the BJP leadership keeps insulting people of Bengal… it seems the BJP leaders want to insult the women of Bengal every single day. We strongly condemn this,” she added.