The Opposition has taken a strong exception to BJP president Amit Shah’s “chatur baniya” comments on Mahatma Gandhi, saying he “insulted” the Father of the Nation and thus he along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tender an apology.
The Congress said the BJP president instead of fighting casteism went upto the extent of indentifying Bapu with his caste even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said Shah should withdraw his comments and apologise for it.
Shah had referred to Mahatma Gandhi as a “bahut chatur baniya” (a very clever Baniya — the trading caste) while addressing a public meeting in Raipur.
Mahatma’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi said just like Bapu would laugh at cartoons on himself, he would have done the same on Amit Shah’s comments.
“Gandhi laughed at cartoons of himself. He would have laughed at this one also but for its utter tastelessness and the hidden mischief in it,” Gopalkrishna, former West Bengal Governor, said.
Congress said that Shah’s remarks were “an insult to freedom fighters, their sacrifices and also to Gandhi.” The party demanded that Amit Shah, BJP and Prime Minister apologise to the country, the families of freedom fighters and every citizen for insulting the freedom movement.
“Rather than fighting casteism, they (BJP) identified even the father of the nation with his caste. This shows the character and ideology of the ruling party and its president. Where will these people take the countryIJ” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked.
“Amit Shah, who himself is a trader of power, is today saying that the freedom movement was a business model. But in reality, before independence, Britishers used RSS and Hindu Mahasabha as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for partition of the country,” Surjewala alleged.
Mamta said the statement was a deliberate act. “It is unfortunate, uncalled for and unethical,” she said.
“Gandhiji is the father of the nation and he is an icon of the world. No one should think that he can say anything only because he is in power,” she said.
In a tweet, Banerjee said, “When we, in public life, speak about icons of our nation and the world, we must always show utmost respect and sensitivity with language.”
CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy too echoed Banerjee’s views on the issue. “As father of the nation everybody should respect Mahatma Gandhi. Calling a leader respected world over as a baniya is in bad taste,” he said.
CPI national secretary D Raja said Shah, being president of the ruling party, should be aware of the language to be used while describing a leader of Gandhi’s stature.
“We have no problem when he criticises Congress or other Opposition parties (during political discourse). But dragging Mahatma Gandhi’s name, using such a language is denigrating Gandhi,” Raja said.