Amit Shah calls Mahatma Gandhi a ‘Bahut chatur baniya’, faces heat from Opposition Congress

Amit Shah said that the Congress Party was nothing more than a "special purpose vehicle" used to win freedom from the British colonists.

By: News Desk |
June 10, 2017 2:52 pm

BJP president Amit Shah is in the eye of storm for calling Mahatma Gandhi ‘Bahut Chatur Baniya’. Speaking at an event in Raipur on Friday , Shah said that Mahatma Gandhi was a “bahut chatur baniya,” who had foreseen the bleak future of the Congress party.

Taking potshots at the grand old party, Shah said that the Congress Party was nothing more than a “special purpose vehicle” used to win freedom from the British colonists.

“Congress kisi ek vichaar dhaara ke adhaar par, kisi ek siddhant ke adhaar par bani hui party hi nahi hai, woh azadi prapt karne ka ek special purpose vehicle hai, azadi prapt karne ka ek saadhan tha. Aur isi liye Mahatma Gandhi ne durandesi ke saath, bahut chatur baniya tha woh, usko maloom tha aage kya hone waala hai, usne azadi ke baad turant kaha tha, Congress ko bikher dena chahiye. Mahatma Gandhi ne nahi kiya, lekin ab kuch log usko bikherne ka kaam samapt kar rahe hain. Isliye hi kaha tha Mahatma Gandhi ne, kyunki Congress ki koi ideology hi nahi thi, siddhanto ke aadhar par bani hui party hi nahi thi. Desh chalaane ke, sarkar chalaane ke koi siddhant hi nahi the. (The Congress is not a party based on one ideology or one principle, it is a special purpose vehicle to gain independence…this is why Mahatma Gandhi with foresight, he was a very clever baniya, he knew what was going to happen, he said immediately after independence that the Congress should be dissolved. He didn’t do it, but some people are now completing the job of dissolving it. He had said this because the Congress had no ideology, was not formed based on a principle, and did not have any principle to run the country or government)” – Amit Shah as quoted by The Indian Express.

Taking strong exception to remarks made by Shah, the Congress said that Shah’s comments were an “insult” to the father of the nation, and demanded an apology from the BJP president as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Rather than fighting casteism, they (BJP) identified even the father of the nation with his caste. This shows the character and ideology of the ruling party and its president. Where will these people take the country?” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked.

“We demand that Amit Shah, BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the country, the families of freedom fighters and every citizen for insulting the freedom movement, and the father of the nation,” he said.