Guwahati, Dec. 16: Assam CLP leader Debabrata Saikia today moved Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an apology from Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

In a two-page letter, Saikia wanted Modi who, he said, had quoted Gandhi ji for promotion of the largest government programme of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, to “direct” Paul ” to apologise” and “warn” other BJP leaders “not to pass any kind of derogatory remarks” about freedom fighters.

Saikia has not specified the remarks but has accused Paul of “lowering the dignity” of the office of the Deputy Speaker by passing derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who played leading roles during the freedom movement. The remarks were an “insult” to those who participated in a non-violent agitation to secure freedom from the British.

“For leaders of some political parties it has now become a habit to undermine the freedom movement led by the Indian National Congress and use derogatory remarks against the Congress leadership. I remember your first day in office as Prime Minister when you took along with you the photo of Mahatma Gandhi and paid respect to him before sitting on the chair of the Prime Minister,” Saikia stated.

Paul told The Telegraph that there was no question of apologising because he had only reiterated the history of India, that he had on December 7 in Silchar only defended the views of Partha Maharaj, an office-bearer of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, a non-profit Hindu organisation, for his remark against Gandhi and Nehru.

Saikia has already filed a case at Dispur police station here against Maharaj, who had during a youth convention of Hindu Samhati on December 2, allegedly said, “Gandhi was not a father, but an enemy of the nation.” Maharaj also allegedly dubbed Nehru a “replica of Duryodhan”- a key character of Mahabharat.

“I have all the respect for Gandhi ji and know about his sacrifices for our freedom. I only said Maharaj might have failed to control his emotions after seeing the poor condition of Hindus in the country. Isn’t it true Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah and Mountbatten could have averted Partition? Had it been averted, there would have been no Jammu & Kashmir where thousands of our jawans have died, there would have been no Hindu-Muslim distrust or hundreds killed during the Assam Movement. There is no question of apologising,” Paul, the Silchar MLA, said from Sivasagar.

News Source The Telegraph