NEW DELHI – The political situation is boiling up in Indian after a Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) leader called his Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, a “bahut chatur baniya” (clever baniya).
In a race to win upcoming elections in late 2018, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday, who is in Chhattisgarh as part of his nationwide tour, did not spare his national hero during a speech while addressing a group of ’eminent’ persons in Raipur.
Shah, who often talks about eliminating Congress, said: “The Congress is not a party based on one ideology or one principle, it is a special purpose vehicle to get freedom”.
Meanwhile, the Congress showing anger had demanded an apology from the BJP chief for his remarks. Congress MLA Randeep S Surjewala has said that the Amit Shah must apologise for insulting Mahatma Gandhi, according to media reports.
The Congress also tweeted earlier: “Know the truth of BJP & its ideological master, RSS. While Congress leaders were fighting for freedom, RSS was siding with the British Raj.”
Mamata Banerjee also tweeted responding to the Shah’s remarks as saying, ” When we, in public life, speak about icons of our nations and the world, we must always show utmost respect and sensitivity with language”.
When we, in public life, speak about icons of our nation and the world, we must always show utmost respect and sensitivity with language
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 10, 2017
