West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Image: ANI
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned and apologized for state minister Akhil Giri’s remarks on President Droupadi Murmu by saying it is not in her party’s culture to make such personal comments. She said that the MLA has been cautioned over his comments.
The Trinamool Congress supremo said, “We condemn what Akhil Giri said. Beauty cannot be decided by external looks but true beauty lies inside. I am personally very fond of President Murmu. I respect her. I am sorry, I do apologise on behalf of the party.”
Banerjee said at a press briefing, “Somebody has committed a mistake, and we are opposing it, we aren’t supporting it. But every day, the language that is being used to make statements and the lying that is continuing is unacceptable.”
“Speaking is an art. I sometimes use the word ‘kimbhutkimakar’ (meaning strange in English). That is a word in the dictionary. I have not used any words outside the dictionary. If I ever speak a bad word, I immediately withdraw it and we certainly have that right,” she added.
In a 17-second video clip that took over the internet, Giri, at a rally in a village in Nandigram, was seen commenting on the “looks of the President.” The Minister of state for Correctional Homes said, “They (BJP) said that I am not good-looking. We don’t judge anyone by their appearance. We respect the office of the President (of India). But how does our President look?”
Protests against Giri continued to rock various parts of the state for the third consecutive day. Earlier today, state BJP MLAs reached the Raj Bhavan in protest against his controversial remarks. The saffron party workers also staged a protest near Giri’s residence in Purba Medinipur’s Kanthi town on Sunday. The ruling party at the Centre’s workers demanded his removal as a minister and sought arrest for making controversial remarks against the president.
Additionally, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also condemned the remarks, saying no one has the right to make such remarks about the president. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed Giri and said that the insult hurled on the President was ‘intentional’ and further called on Banerjee to take cognizance of the matter and act against her minister.
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