Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Tuesday left his party colleagues in splits with his antics in Lok Sabha. Banerjee used a sports metaphor to mock the NDA's failure to reach its target of '400 paar' seats. The Sreerampur MP said the Opposition's improved tally in the Lok Sabha elections was a game that had just begun. He sneered at the BJP MP's and said that the ruling party's ahankar [vanity] vanity had prevented it from securing an absolute majority.


What Did Kalyan Banerjee Say?


Kalyan Banerjee referred to the hugely popular political slogan "khela hobe [game is on]" and mocked the BJP: "You said 400 paar [400+ seats]! The game has started now. There are many types of games, sir. Chu kit kit [hopscotch] is also a game. You lost the game." While taunting the BJP and NDA leaders, Kalyan Banerjee raised his arms and made faces at them.


This prompted the SPeaker to intervene and urge the TMC MP to look at him and make his address. Reacting to this, Kalyan Banerjee told Speaker Om Birla: "Sir, I look at only you. I don't look at anyone else. There is no one here smarter than you. I see you alone. Many good actresses have also come; no one looks at them. Everyone looks at you... Your behaviour towards the opposition will be remembered, sir."






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What Is Chu Kit Kit?


Almost every kid born in the early 90s and before that would have had played some version of 'chu kit kit'. 'Chu kit kit' essentially refers to the game of hopscotch, which is hugely popular in Bengal and other states in India. It is known by various names across the nation, such as 'kut kut' and 'kit kit' in the eastern and northeastern parts; 'langdi', 'stapu', and 'kith kith' in the northern and north-western Hindi-speaking states; 'tipri pani' in Maharashtra and Goa, 'nondi' or 'pandi' in Tamil Nadu, and 'tokkudu billa' in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.


The origins of hopscotch can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where variations of the game were played by Roman soldiers as a training exercise. Today, it remains a staple of playgrounds, schoolyards, and neighbourhood streets, providing endless entertainment with minimal equipment required.


The game begins with players drawing a hopscotch grid on the ground using chalk. The grid typically consists of single and double squares, numbered in sequence. Players take turns throwing a small object, known as a marker, onto the grid. The objective is to hop through the squares on one foot, avoid the square with the marker, and then retrieve the marker on the return trip without losing balance or stepping on the lines.


Once a hugely popular game among kids, hopscotch is slowly fading from Indian streets with the invasion of social media and other online games and platforms in children's lives. The game can still be seen in some rural and semi-urban areas. However, in urban settings the game has become a rare sight.