Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the disqualification of membership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also Opposition leader in the Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari for hurting the sentiments of a particular community in separate incidents in the recent past.
Referring to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as member of the Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Surat court in the criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark, Abhishek asked if Rahul can be disqualified for his comments about a particular community, then why similar action cannot be taken against the Prime Minister who had also hurt the sentiments of women by sarcastically referring Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as “Didi-o-Didi”.
“Rahul Gandhi was disqualified for his one comment. His membership as an MP has been cancelled. What did he say? He took Narendra Modi’s name with Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi. I don’t support what he has said. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s sentiment. But I want to ask a question before the people of Bengal. Modi during his election campaign in Bengal sarcastically referred to the Bengal Chief Minister as ‘Didi-o-Didi’. Did it not hurt the sentiments of women? Why will Modi’s membership not be disqualified,” he asked.
Abhishek also demanded the disqualification of Opposition leader Adhikari for his allegedly disparaging comments on Birbaha Hansda, Minister of Self Help-Self Employment Group (Independent charge). He was addressing a mammoth rally at Sahid Minar organised by Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad and Trinamool Youth Congress in protest against the Centre for not clearing its dues for the state of West Bengal.
Abhishek threatened to file suit against PM Modi and Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari in Bengal for their comments taking cue from the Surat court judgment. He said the PM hurt the sentiment of women by sarcastically commenting “Didi-o-Didi” while Adhikari hurt the sentiments of the tribal community by commenting on Birbaha Hansda who belongs to that particular community.
He also hinted that the party’s legal cell may file a suit against the PM or the Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly for their sarcastic remarks that hurt the sentiments of different communities. Taking cue from a Surat court judgment on Rahul Gandhi, his party may move court seeking Adhikari’s disqualification from the Assembly for “insulting” a woman minister from the tribal community.