In another personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, TMC leader Pijush Panda abused PM Modi with casteist slurs and asked, “How can a son of ‘Teli’ inaugurate Ram Mandir”. The TMC leader was heard making casteist slurs against Modi in a video shared by the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari.
Taking to X, senior BJP leader Adhikari lambasted the TMC leader for hurling casteist remarks about PM Modi and also shared the video of an excerpt from the TMC leader’s controversial address.
In the video shared with corresponding English subtitles, the TMC leader can be seen targeting PM Modi with personal attacks and raising questions about his humble background. He argued that he would quit politics if someone showed evidence that PM Modi sold tea at the Railway station during his childhood days.
In the video, Pijush Panda also made deranging attacks on PM Modi and called him an “absolute fraud” and “a madman”, alleging that all his certificates are computerised even when computers didn’t exist at that time. Notably, earlier, the Gujarat High Court had refused to grant relief to AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for making defamatory claims about PM Modi’s degree row.
Further, the TMC leader Pijush Panda attacked PM Modi for inaugurating Ram Mandir despite being an OBC from Teli caste, saying only Brahmins can do so. He also suggested that OBCs like PM Modi should do the job of polishing shoes, saying that with a ‘Teli’ inaugurating Ram Mandir, Brahmins like himself will need to polish shoes.
He can be heard saying, “The Ram Mandir was inaugurated some time ago. I being a Brahmin may have to polish shoes at the Contai Central Bus stand in a few days. Want to know why?”
He repeated the false narrative that was busted earlier during the consecration ceremony and claimed that PM Modi inaugurated an incomplete Ram Mandir. He also peddled the falsehood that the four Shankaracharyas stated that it can’t happen in the Hindu religion.
Panda further stated, “Narendra Modi is arrogant. He is the son of a Teli (the community from which PM Modi hails). How can he inaugurate the Ram Mandir and offer Puja and a Brahmin is not even invited? Then what is the use of the sacred thread of the Brahmins? I am going to send my sacred thread to the Prime Minister’s office. I will polish shoes at the Contai Central Bus stand instead.”
Notably, PM Modi, as a representative head of the country was made the Mukhya Yagman for the consecration ceremony and it was performed as per Hindu rituals under the guidance of priests.
Meanwhile, in his post, Suvendu Adhikari launched a scathing attack on the TMC leader for disrespecting the OBC community. The BJP leader stated that he would have ignored the remarks of a lower-rung TMC leader but because Pijush Panda is a functionary in TMC organisational structure, “his words have to be considered as his Party’s Official stance.”
Suvendu Adhikari added, “He has not only tried to demean Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji by terming him as a son of ‘Teli’ but he has insulted and disrespected the whole OBC Samaj. He has specifically indicated that polishing shoes is a befitting job for the members of the OBC Samaj.”
He also slammed TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and wrote, “His leader Mamata Banerjee has already diluted the established criteria approved by Mandal Commission which determined the identification of the Backward Classes, and has unethically extended the reservation benefits to her preferred ‘vote bank’ while depriving the real OBC Samaj in WB.”
Adhikari noted that the TMC leader made brazen attacks on PM Modi and disrespected OBC community after getting patronage from Mamata Banerjee.
The post further read, “The filthy person even quipped that he will send his sacred thread to the @PMOIndia and polish shoes instead, as if polishing shoes would have been a fitting job for the son of a TELI and not attending Temple inauguration events.”
Concluding his post, he asked NCBC Chairperson and the Election Commission to make cognizance of the matter and take stern action against the TMC leader.
Reacting to the comments of the TMC leader, political analyst Kanchan Gupta noted that Pijush Panda was disgusted by the sight of a ‘Teli’ inaugurating Sri Ram Mandir.