Adhir Chowdhury calls PM ‘Pagla Modi’, later clarifies it is ‘public sentiment’
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury, got into a row on Wednesday (May 24) after referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Pagla (crazy) Modi” while remarking on the withdrawal of 2000-rupee notes from circulation.
After facing backlash from the BJP, he clarified that he was echoing the “sentiments of the people” at the note withdrawal decision.
Adhir’s remark
Chowdhury made the controversial remarks while addressing the press at his constituency Behrampore in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
#WATCH | Murshidabad, West Bengal | While speaking on the issue of #Rs2000CurrencyNote, West Bengal Congress president and MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury gets abusive; says, "…he is not Modi but pagala Modi. People called him 'pagala Modi'…" (23.05.2023) pic.twitter.com/BCQyw0c8wL
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2023
“People want change, not Modi. All of a sudden, he decided to withdraw 2000-rupee notes. This is not Modi, this is Pagla Modi. People are calling him ‘Pagla Modi’. India’s economy is already shattered; amid that, this (2000-rupee note withdrawal) has been announced,” he said.
The Reserve Bank of India last Friday announced the withdrawal of 2000-rupee notes and gave the public time till September 30 to either deposit the notes or exchange them at banks.
Also read: No form or identity proof needed to exchange ₹2,000 notes, says SBI as drive set to kick off
BJP’s Bengal president Sukanta Majumder took to Twitter to condemn Chowdhury’s remark. “Congress leader Adhir Ranjan abuses PM Modi again and calls him ‘Pagla’. He has used the abusive language again and again. He is a repeated offender. I strongly condemn this. He should apologise immediately,” he wrote.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan abuses PM @narendramodi ji again & calls him ‘Pagla’.
He has used the abusive language again and again. He is a repeated offender.
I strongly condemn this. He should apologise immediately.
pic.twitter.com/YgUY60ksid— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) May 24, 2023
On AAP-TMC meet
Reacting to the meeting between Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday, Chowdhury said parties like AAP and TMC were “trying to be relevant” now that people are going against Modi.
“The people of India are fed up with this government. They have understood that an Opposition alliance has to be forged under the leadership of the Congress. People are saying this,” Chowdhury added.
Also read: Mamata assures Kejriwal of support in his fight against Central ordinance
“Regarding the control of services (in Delhi) issue, we protested against it on the first day. I have protested here; my leader Mallikarjun Kharge has done it. Not because of Kejriwal or Didi (Banerjee). We will protest against any anti-Constitution activity. We’ll protest against anything that goes against the federal structure,” he claimed.
(With agency inputs)
