Sarma flays TMC minister over Prez remark, demands strict action

Kokrajhar (Assam) [India], November 13 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma on Sunday lashed out at Akhil Giri, a cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, for his derogatory remark against President Droupadi Murmu.
Addressing a public meeting in West Bengal on Friday, the TMC minister, while lashing out at BJP MLA and the leader of Opppsition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, made a derogatory remark on President Murmu's appearance.
"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.
Even as the Trinamool disowned the minister's statement, Giri later issued an apology saying that he respects the Constitution and post of President.
Lashing out at Giri, Sarma said that the insult hurled on the President was "intentional". He called on the Bengal CM to take cognizance of the matter and act against her minister.
The CM said the TMC leader's statement was in bad taste and had angered Assam's tribal people.
A case has already been registered against the TMC minister in Assam.
Giri's apology has failed to wash with the BJP, as Lok Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee on Sunday filed a complaint at Kolkata's North Avenue police station over his statement against the President.
Also on Saturday, members of the party's women's wing, Mahila Morcha, sat on a dharna in the heart of Kolkata raising slogans against the Mamata government and minister Giri.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Saturday also lashed out at the TMC government over the minister's remark, demanding an apology from Mamata.
Munda also called on the TMC chief to sack the minister for hurting tribal sentiments.
Adhikari also wrote Bengal Governor La Ganesan seeking an appointment to demand the sacking of Giri as minister.
Earlier, responding to the TMC leader's statement, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told ANI, "If Mamata Banerjee has any morality left in her, she should immediately sack her minister and apologize to the nation".
Responding to a letter by the BJP to the National Commission for Women (NCW), the chairperson of the panel wrote to the TMC minister Giri, asking him to tender a written apology for his remarks against President Murmu. The Commission also wrote to the DGP of West Bengal asking him to conduct an investigation and take strict action in the matter. (ANI)