Kolkata: A practising lawyer has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a directive from Calcutta High Court into an alleged remark from a West Bengal government’s minister Akhil Giri about the look of President of India Droupadi Murmu.
The writ, filed in the court of Chief justice Prakash Shrivastava, could be heard in a day or two, court sources said on Monday.
Advocate Sushmita Saha Dutta in her petition urged the court to take cognizance in the matter.
She alleged that such comments against the Constitutional Head of the country is “tantamount to insulting the Constitution and that the court should intervene since the state government is yet to take any steps against the offender”.
The matter is likely to be heard in the next two days, the court sources added. Akhil Giri, an MLA representing Ramnagar in Purba Medinipur and the minister for Correctional Administration, during a public meeting at Nandigram last week was heard as saying, “He
(Suvendu Adhikari) claimed that I don’t look good. How beautiful is Suvendu? We don’t judge people by their appearance. We respect the office of the President (Draupadi Murmu).
But have you looked at her face?”
After the video clip of his remark went viral, Giri apologised for making such a comment and said he did not mean to the President of India, whom I regard the best”.
The ruling Trinamool Congress also condemned its own minister Akhil Giri for his “remark against President of India Drouppadi Murmu.”
” Our party (TMC) strongly condemns the unfortunate remarks made by MLA Akhil Giri and AITC clarifies that we do not condone such statements,’ the All India Trinamool Congress had stated.
” We have utmost respect for the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu’ , the statement maintained. ” In the era of women’s empowerment, such misogyny is unacceptable, ” the TMC added.
However, the controversy was still raging and a fresh FIR was filed by BJP MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato at Purulia Sadar police station demanding punitive action against Giri for his remark against the constitutional head.
Such an FIR was also lodged at the Nandigram police station.
