Attack came in from the Opposition as Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki on Sunday slammed BJP President Amit Shah’s remark describing Mahatma Gandhi as “chatur baniya”. The Congress chief also announced that the party will hold protests throughout the state to demand an apology from Shah.
“Shah’s remark about the Father of the Nation shows his mentality,” Solanki told The Hindu.
Congress leaders from Kerala and Goa have also condemned his comments. Goa MP and the Congress leader Shantaram Naik said the saffron party should introspect and identify the "forces" that killed the Father of the Nation.
He said Shah's remarks dubbing Gandhi a "very chatur baniya" is an insult to mercantile community, which the BJP counts on as their loyal vote bank.
BJP chief Amit Shah on Friday called Mahatma Gandhi a “chatur baniya”, a reference to the mercantile caste to which he was born, who had rightly advised dissolution of the Congress after Independence. Shah also said the Congress was not rooted in any ideology or principles and was sort of a “special purpose vehicle” to secure freedom.
“The Congress party was constituted as a club by a British man. It was later converted into an organisation engaged in freedom struggle,” Shah said. It had in its fold both right- and left-leaning people like Maulana Azad, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and many others, he said.
“People of various ideologies and thinking associated themselves with the Congress to gain independence. Congress didn't have any ideology or set of principles and it was only used as a special purpose vehicle to secure freedom. And therefore, Mahatma Gandhi, with a lot of foresight – he was a very shrewd baniya – he knew what was going to happen in the future. He had said immediately after Independence that Congress should be dissolved.”
Mahatma Gandhi couldn't do that, but now some people are completing the task of dissolution of Congress, the BJP chief added in an apparent jibe at the present Congress leadership.
Shah’s Comment Raises Congress’ Hackles
Shah's remarks on Mahatma Gandhi led to immediate criticism from the Congress in Chhattisgarh and in New Delhi.
Without directly commenting, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi shared a quote by Mahatma Gandhi.
“Such a comment on the father of the nation is highly condemnable. Shah has crossed limits of politics,” said state Congress general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.
In New Delhi, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Shah's remarks were “an insult to freedom fighters, their sacrifices and also to Gandhi”.
“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 country?” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked.
“We demand that Amit Shah, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the country, the families of freedom fighters and every citizen for insulting the freedom movement... and the father of the nation,” he said.
Gandhi’s grandson and former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi also reacted to Shah’s remarks saying, “Gandhi would have laughed at ‘chatur baniya’ description but for its utter tastelessness and the hidden mischief in it”.
Mamata Banerjee Demands Apology
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded that Shah withdraws the comment and apologise to the country.
“He should withdraw his comment and apologise for it. It is a deliberate act. It is unfortunate, uncalled for and unethical,” she told reporters.
“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.
Former CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat also hit out at Shah, saying his remark reveals “the contempt the BJP- RSS has for Gandhiji”.
Twitterati Criticise Shah’s Remarks
Several people, including journalists, took to Twitter to express their disdain towards Shah’s remarks.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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