Guwahati: West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Akhil Giri apologised on Saturday after receiving harsh condemnation from both the opposition and his own party the day before for his remarks about President of India Droupadi Murmu.
Akhil Giri made the offensive comments against the President of India while speaking about West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari following an instance of unrest in the BJP politician’s Nandigram constituency over the Martyrs’ Day event.
“He (Suvendu Adhikari) says I am not good-looking. How beautiful you are! We don’t judge anyone by their appearance, we respect the office of the President of India. But how does our President look?” Giri had said while hitting out at Suvendu Adhikari.
A video of the same thing also went viral on social media on Friday.
Giri apologised on Saturday, saying he was sorry and regretted what he had said and that he still respected the Indian Constitution and the office of President.
“I said, President. Didn’t take anyone’s name. If the President of India feels insulted about it, then I am sorry and regret what I said,” the TMC leader said in a statement.
Giri stated that he does not regret the way the BJP responded to his comments.
“I don’t regret how BJP will react to this. I am not concerned about BJP. My reaction was for Suvendu Adhikari,” he claimed.
“I am also part of the Constitution. I have taken an oath and become a minister. He (Suvendu Adhikari) insulted me and said that I look like a crow. He called me a half-pant minister. This is also an insult to me. Calling me half-pant minister is insulting the whole minister panel,” he said.
A number of BJP and TMC officials attacked Akhil Giri for his statements. Leaders of the BJP’s West Bengal branch said that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC administration was “anti-tribal.”
The tribal affairs minister for the BJP on Saturday also denounced Giri’s comments and demanded that Mamata Banerjee fire the minister for disrespecting the Indian president.
“They (TMC) cannot digest the fact that a tribal woman is now the President of India. BJP strongly condemns this. We will make sure he (TMC leader Akhil Giri) gets busted,” the Union Minister said.
In a letter to the National Commission of Women (NCW), BJP MP Saumitra Khan also called for Akhil Giri’s immediate arrest. “Giri’s comment against the President of India Droupadi Murmu was an insult.
“This issue is not only related to women’s respect; it also reflects their thinking. And this type of thinking cannot be left in society because it is harmful to society as well as the country. I request the commission to immediately arrest Akhil Giri for this heinous act and take appropriate action against him,” Khan said in his letter.