Amreli: Instead of apologizing for his remarks on state BJP president Jitu Vaghani’s mother made in public meeting at Moti Malvan, Congress MLA from Lathi, Virji Thummar on Monday reached District Superintendent of Police(DSP) office in Amreli with Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani and submitted a memorandum demanding action against BJP workers who protested outside his house against his remark and allegedly burnt his effigy. Thummar in his byte to media put forward a novel argument and said that State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani should apologise the ‘Patidar community’ first for his remark that Hardik was piththu(pawn) of Congress.

Dhanani, who is Amreli MLA and Leader of Opposition meanwhile tweeted something in connection with Thummar’s remarks and BJP’s protest against remark. In his tweet, Dhanani made a point that BJP wanted to raise this issue to step aside the discussion on inflation.

"'મા"' ઈ "'મા"'
બિજા બધાંય વગડાના વા.,

દુનિયાની દરેક "'માં"'
ને મારા વંદન પણ.,

મોંઘવારીથી મોઢું છુપાવવા માટે
"'મા"' ને વચ્ચે તાણી લાવવા નું
સરકારી વલણ વ્યાજબી નથી..!

જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત.

— Paresh Dhanani (@paresh_dhanani) May 27, 2018

Meanwhile in evening TV debates, Congress spokespersons were struggling to justify Thummar’s remarks. In Zee Chovis Kalak debate, Congress MLA Brijesh Merja for once showed his disagreement with how Thummar spoke in Moti Malvan public meeting. In TV18 Gujarati debate, Congress’s Babu Mangukia and Patidar Ananamt Andolan Samiti representative both condemned Thummar’s remark but described it as ‘sleep of tongue. While Congress has officially defended Thummar, some Congress leaders are condemning it in their own capacity. Yesterday, the Congress MLA and former Mayor of Ahmedabad, Himmatsinh had in his reaction stated that Thummar’s views were in his personal capacity and not Congress party’s view.

In a TV debate, veteran journalist and political historian Vishnu Pandya expressed worries over deteriorating level of political discourse. He said Gujarati is the language of Mahatma Gandhi, Premanand, Munshi and level should be maintained. BJP MLA Harsh Sanghvi said, there’s nothing new in Thummar’s remark. He has been asked 27 times by the Speaker in Gujarat Assembly session to speak and behave properly. It must be noted here that Thummar has been suspended from the assembly for more than once in previous budget session which was the first session post Thummar’s election as MLA.

Political commentator Japan K Pathak on News 18 Gujarati said: ‘Such objectionable remarks, such practice of bringing opponent’s mother into political mud-sledging, need to be condemned strongly because if it is taken for granted, this could in a way become permitted language in political discourse. It would then become a practice and bring down entire level of not just political discourse but the praja as whole. Condemnation, protest and opposition to such foul language would make politicians think before they use it again. If taken easily, it will be a practice for entire next one-year period before the general elections.’

He said if Congress had condemned this yesterday itself from top level, the issue could end there and then. The issue is attracting longer attention period because neither Thummar nor Amit Chavda or Paresh Dhanani express regret. The Congress can not detach itself from Thummar’s foul language in Moti Malvan event, saying that it was not party’s function. Thummar had started his speech saying that he was sent to this function by Congress party’s State president, Leader of Opposition and State party incharge Satav.

In related development, BJP women’s wing burnt Thummar in effigy for his remarks against Vaghani’s mother.

Thummar had in his speech at Hardik Patel’s Moti Malvan public event questioned whether Vaghani was born from Patidar mother’s stomach and whether his mother was from Patidar community. Thummar had also made remark about Narendra Modi’s estranged wife and also called BJP president Amit Shah as ‘taklu’ repeatedly. Thummar and Tankara MLA of Congress party Lalit Kagathara were two MLAs who delivered speeches in Moti Malvan event.

DeshGujarat