“Such intolerance against particular gender and colour condemnable”: Dharmendra Pradhan flays TMC’s Akhil Giri over Prez remark

New Delhi [India], November 12 (ANI): Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday lashed out at Trinamool Congress leader Akhil Giri over his derogatory remarks against President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.
Addressing a public meeting in West Bengal on Friday, Giri made an offensive remark on the President’s appearance while lashing out at Leader of Opppsition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.
“He (Suvendu Adhikari) says I am not good looking. How beautiful is he? We don’t judge anyone by their appearance, we respect the office of the President of India. But how does our President look?” Giri said.
Flaying the Trinamool leader for his remark on Saturday, the union minister accused Giri of having a feudal mindset. “He insulted the first citizen of country with a feudal mindset. In democracy, such intolerance against a particular gender and colour is condemnable,” Pradhan said.
Comparing Giri’s statement with a similar derogatory remark against the President made by senior Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury earlier, the Union minister called on the Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to act against her party leader.
“A few days ago, Adhir Chowdhury also did the same. I hope Mamata Banerjee, being a representative of women,takes action,” Pradhan said.
Even as the Trinamool Congress disowned his remarks, Giri later issued an apology saying he regrets his statement and respects the Constitution and the post 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.
However, the TMC leader’s apology did not cut much ice with the Opposition as the BJP’s Mahila Morcha (women’s wing) sat on a dharna in Kolkata to protest against Giri’s remarks against the President.
Holding up images of the TMC leader, who is in the middle of the Opposition firestorm, the BJP’s women’s wing members raised slogans against the Mamata Banerjee government and Akhil Giri.
Speaking to ANI, a BJP Mahila Morcha leader said, “Droupadi Murmu holds the highest post in the country and has our highest respect. However, derogatory remarks by the TMC leader Akhil Giri against our honourable President has left women, not just in India but across the world, hanging their heads in shame.” (ANI)