Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh had, at a seminar, dragged Amartya Sen's name in the most abusive manner.
Chennai:
Despite all-round condemnation of his comments on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Monday refused to withdraw his comments, that he made last week, describing the economist as "some who has done nothing for the country" and much worse.
"No apology," said Mr Ghosh in the Assembly complex on Monday as Congress and Left lawmakers shouted slogans against him. "Who should I apologise to? Bengal's intellectuals should apologise to people. What have they done for society?" he said.
On Saturday, at a seminar in Kolkata on displacement of Hindus, Mr Ghosh had, quite out of the blue, dragged in Prof Sen's name in the most abusive manner.
Prof Sen, who is currently at his home in Shantiniketan, was quoted saying, "Everyone has the right to say what they want."
Mr Ghosh has been condemned by politicians and civil society but is unmoved.
"Bengalis are not flatterers and sycophants. Bengalis are proud people. Like Netaji, Rammohun Roy, Vidyasagar. People who run after awards are not Bengalis," Mr Ghosh said on Monday.
Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee has condemned Mr Ghosh for his comments and demanded he withdraw them immediately. But that has prompted CPM MLA Sujan Chakraborty to say, "Partha Chatterjee had attacked Prof Sen for his comments on industrialisation. So Chatterjee is the predecessor, Ghosh the successor."
"Dilip Ghosh does not know what a Nobel prize is. His comment is a comment of a scoundrel. Jyoti Basu had called the BJP a barbaric party. Today Dilip Ghosh has proved that," the CPM lawmaker added.
Trinamool MLA Manas Bhuiyan, however, was unfazed. "Dilip Ghosh's words have not only hurt me, it has denigrated the cultural richness of Bengal and India. Dr Sen is respected in India and across the world. Next, Mr Ghosh will say, Tagore did not deserve the Nobel. "
"No apology," said Mr Ghosh in the Assembly complex on Monday as Congress and Left lawmakers shouted slogans against him. "Who should I apologise to? Bengal's intellectuals should apologise to people. What have they done for society?" he said.
On Saturday, at a seminar in Kolkata on displacement of Hindus, Mr Ghosh had, quite out of the blue, dragged in Prof Sen's name in the most abusive manner.
Prof Sen, who is currently at his home in Shantiniketan, was quoted saying, "Everyone has the right to say what they want."
Mr Ghosh has been condemned by politicians and civil society but is unmoved.
"Bengalis are not flatterers and sycophants. Bengalis are proud people. Like Netaji, Rammohun Roy, Vidyasagar. People who run after awards are not Bengalis," Mr Ghosh said on Monday.
Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee has condemned Mr Ghosh for his comments and demanded he withdraw them immediately. But that has prompted CPM MLA Sujan Chakraborty to say, "Partha Chatterjee had attacked Prof Sen for his comments on industrialisation. So Chatterjee is the predecessor, Ghosh the successor."
"Dilip Ghosh does not know what a Nobel prize is. His comment is a comment of a scoundrel. Jyoti Basu had called the BJP a barbaric party. Today Dilip Ghosh has proved that," the CPM lawmaker added.
Trinamool MLA Manas Bhuiyan, however, was unfazed. "Dilip Ghosh's words have not only hurt me, it has denigrated the cultural richness of Bengal and India. Dr Sen is respected in India and across the world. Next, Mr Ghosh will say, Tagore did not deserve the Nobel. "
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