Congress Leader Sanjay Nirupam Calls PM Modi ‘Anpadh Gawaar’

“I meant children shouldn’t be tortured by being forced to watch a movie about Modi,” Nirupam clarified later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam (right)

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

“...what will children in school and college gain by learning about an ‘<i>anpadh gawaar</i>’ (illiterate hick) like Modi? It’s shameful that the citizens and children don’t know how many degrees our Prime Minister has.”&nbsp;

Sanjay Nirupam, President, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, in a statement to <i>Times Now</i>

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam’s comments about the Prime Minister threaten to spiral into a larger controversy, after BJP leaders took strong exception to them.

WHAT STARTED THE CONTROVERSY?

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, on Wednesday, 12 September, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an ‘anpadh gawaar’ while criticising the state government's decision to screen a short film on the prime minister's life at schools in Maharashtra, PTI reported.

Zilla Parishad (ZP) schools in Maharashtra had been asked to screen a short film on PM Modi next week, a directive which has drawn criticism from Opposition, with Nirupam particularly vocal.

“There’s some film on Modi which is being forcibly screened. This is absolutely wrong. Our children must be kept away from politics. Secondly, what will children in school and college gain by learning about about an ‘<i>anpadh gawaar</i>’ (illiterate hick) like Modi? It’s shameful that the citizens and children don’t know how many degrees our Prime Minister has.”

Sanjay Nirupam

A government official said that Zilla Parishad schools had been asked to screen the short film "Chalo Jeete Hai" on 18 September as it has a “social message” and would inspire students, PTI reported.

The 32-minute film – “Chalo Jeete Hai”– directed by Mangesh Hadawale and presented by Aanand L Rai and Mahaveer Jain, is based on the early life of Prime Minister Modi.

WHAT DID THE BJP’S LEADERS SAY?

Nirupam’s comment drew outrage from BJP leaders with the party’s Maharashtra unit spokesperson Shaina NC calling Mr Nirupam “mentally deranged” on Twitter. She went on to say, “Yet another obnoxious comment by a mentally deranged @sanjaynirupam . May be he forgets that @narendramodi is elected by 125 cr Indians who aren't "unpad or gavar".”

Anil Shirole, another MP of the BJP, said that the PM doesn’t represent one single party, but the whole country, and that this was an insult to the office of the Prime Minister.

...AND WHAT WAS NIRUPAM’S CLARIFICATION ABOUT HIS STATEMENT?

“The BJP’s leaders need to stop acting so offended and overly sensitive. The word I used wasn’t offensive. Swami Tulsidas has used the word ‘gawar’ in the Ramayan. What I meant was why torture kids in school and college by forcing them to watch this movie? The BJP’s leaders are acting too sensitive.”&nbsp;

Sanjay Nirupam’s clarification

Nirupam clarified that what he meant was that children in school shouldn’t be “subjected to torture” by “being forced to watch this movie about Modi.”

“Narendra Modi is the country’s PM. India is a democracy. In a democracy, the PM isn’t god. He’s subject to criticism.”

Sanjay Nirupam

(With inputs from PTI and Times Now)