Mamata demands Amit Shah’s apology for ‘chatur baniya’ comment on Gandhi

The West Bengal chief minister said Gandhij was the father of the nation and no one should think he can say anything because he is in power.

Taking strong exception to BJP president Amit Shah’s “bahut chatur baniya” comment on Mahatma Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee demanded on Saturday that he withdraw it and apologise to the country.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said BJP president Amit Shah should apologise for his Mahatma Gandhi comment.(PTI File Photo)

“He should withdraw his comment and apologise for it. It is a deliberate act. It is unfortunate, uncalled for and unethical,” she told reporters in Siliguri.

“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”.

The BJP chief referred to Mahatma Gandhi as a “bahut chatur baniya” (a very clever Baniya - the trading caste) while addressing a gathering in Raipur.