Kolkata, April 1: The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday rendered an unconditional apology for the recent derogatory comments by Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra about the Gujarati community, in which she questioned their contribution to India’s freedom movement.
“Bengalis are proud people. We led the freedom struggle against the British. Where were the Gujaratis? Look at the history of Kalapani. Almost 68 per cent of those who were killed and imprisoned in Kalapani were Bengalis. Then there were the Punjabis. Can you show me a single Gujarati who was there? Only your hero Savarkar, who wrote letters apologising,” Moitra had said at a press conference recently.
Her comments attracted sharp criticism from opposition parties. Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, highlighted her remarks in his campaign, especially at the Bhabanipur assembly constituency in South Kolkata, which has a substantial number of Gujarati voters. Adhikari appealed to the Gujarati community in Bhabanipur to give a fitting reply to Trinamool Congress in the forthcoming elections, stressing that the community is proud of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Incidentally, in Bhabanipur, Adhikari is pitted against the Trinamool Congress candidate and West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee. He is also contesting from his native constituency of Nandigram in East Midnapore district. Realising that Moitra’s comments were backfiring ahead of the two-phase assembly elections later this month, Trinamool Congress fielded Ashim Basu, a party councillor from Bhabanipur, to condemn and apologise for her statements.
Basu explained the party’s stand through a video statement posted on his official social media handle. In the video, he read out a statement from the Chief Minister apologising to the Gujarati community. “I personally apologise to my Gujarati brothers and sisters. I am proud of you. This has been discussed with the concerned MP. We do not condone this comment. I apologise for such irresponsible comments,” the Chief Minister said in the statement read out by Basu.
Later, Trinamool Congress state general secretary and party candidate from Beliaghat assembly constituency in North Kolkata also criticised Moitra’s comments at a press conference. “I strongly oppose such comments by Moitra. This is her personal opinion. Our father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is a son of Gujarat. We do not believe in any kind of provincialism. Many Bengalis have workplace ties with Gujarat. Therefore, we respect Gujarat and its people,” Ghosh said.
IANS
