PM Modi refers to 'chotiwala' row, Mahua Moitra says 'proud to be didi ke log'

"I won't allow Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's identity to get abused," PM Modi said referring to Mahua Moitra's 'chotiwala rakshasas' jibe

Mamata Banerjee's 'gotra' has led to a full-blown political war in West Bengal as the state is in the second phase of elections, with crucial seat Nandigram choosing between Banerjee and her former aide Suvendu Adhikari. Ahead of the Nandigram election, Mamata said her actual gotra is 'Shandilya', though she always mentioned 'Maa, Mati, Manush' as her gotra, whenever she was asked this question in temples.

PM Modi, however, did not mention Moitra's name when he referred to the 'chotiwala' remark.

Reacting to the disclosure of her gotra ahead of the election, Union minister Giriraj Singh, who writes Shandilya part of his name, said probably Rohingyas too are from Shandilya gotra.

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Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra reacted to Giriraj Singh's comment and said belonging to the Rohingya clan is better than being from the 'Chotiwala Rakshasa clan', which referred to Brahmins. This comment on Brahmins drew flak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he was addressing an election campaign rally in West Bengal, referred to the controversy and said now 'didi ke log' have problems with those who have 'choti'.

"Mamata didi has a problem with Jai Shri Ram, the entire Bengal knows that... But now she has problems with 'tilak', 'saffron clothes'. Top of all that, didi ke log are now calling 'chotiwalas' rakshasas. Didi, if you want to abuse me for votes, you are free to do that. But I won't allow Ramkrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's identity (choti) to get abused," PM Modi said.

"There are chotiwalas & then there are chotiwala rakshasas who refers to gotra of Rohingyas as if it were a term of abuse. Modiji should ask his cabinet minister to refrain from such filth," Mahua Moitra wrote on Twitter in reply adding she is proud to be 'didi ke log'.

"So amused that @BJP right wingers who routinely use the term “Topiwala” pejoratively are offended by my use of “Chotiwala”. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, people!" the MP also wrote.

Mamata announcing her gotra ahead of the Nandigram election has been criticised as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused her of indulging in the same politics of the BJP. "What should happen to people like me who aren’t Shandilya or Janeudhari, aren’t bhakts of certain gods, don’t recite Chalisa or any Path? Every party feels that it has to show its Hindu credentials to win. Unprincipled, insulting & unlikely to succeed," Owaisi reacted earlier.

Giriraj Singh on Thursday said Mamata Banerjee's people have hatred towards choti, religion, Jai Shri Ram. "I'm proud and 'choti' is my 'sanskar' and 'sanskriti'. She (Mamata) should tell why on one side she was reading 'kalma' and on other was telling her gotra," Singh said.