"When will Mamata Banerjee remove Akhil Giri from party?" Smriti Irani on TMC leader's remarks on President Murmu

TMC minister Akhil Giri made objectionable remarks against the President on Friday while talking about West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari following an incident of unrest in the BJP leader's Nandigram constituency over the Martyrs' Day event.

Amid the row over West Bengal minister Akhil Giri's objectionable remarks against President Droupadi Murmu, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday questioned when Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee will remove Giri from her party. "The Chief Minister of West Bengal is not speaking anything about the TMC minister Akhil Giri's remarks against President Murmu. We do not want to listen to that Minister, we want to know when will Mamata ji remove Akhil Giri from the party," Irani told ANI.

TMC minister Akhil Giri made objectionable remarks against the President on Friday while talking about West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari following an incident of unrest in the BJP leader's Nandigram constituency over the Martyrs' Day event. "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 while hitting out at Suvendu Adhikari.

A video of the same also went viral on social media, sparking strong criticism from BJP leaders and also a few from the TMC. Even as the Trinamool Congress disowned his remarks, Giri later issued an apology saying he regrets his statement and respects the Constitution and the post of president.

"I said, President. Didn't take anyone's name. If the President of India feels insulted about it, then I am sorry and regret what I said," the TMC leader said in a statement. However, the TMC leader's apology did not cut much ice with the Opposition as the BJP's Mahila Morcha (women's wing) sat on a dharna in Kolkata to protest against Giri's remarks against the President.

Holding up images of the TMC leader, who is in the middle of the Opposition firestorm, the BJP's women's wing members raised slogans against Mamata Banerjee's government and Akhil Giri. (ANI)