Mumbai IAS officer’s anti-Gandhi tweet sparks row

Mumbai:  A Mumbai woman IAS officer’s tweet virtually making a call to erase Mahatma Gandhiji from everywhere in the world, including Indian currency notes, sparked a controversy, forcing her to backtrack, on Saturday.

Nidhi Choudhari, currently Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, had made the tweets on May 17.

“What an exceptional celebration of 150th birth anniversary year is going on… High time, we removed his face from our currency, his statues from across the world, rename institutions/roads named after him! That would be a real tribute to all of us! ThankU #Godse for 30.01.1948.”

Terming the IAS officer’s tweets as “derogatory to Mahatma Gandhi,” Nationalist Congress Party legislator Jitendra Awhad demanded that Choudhari should be immediately suspended for glorifying Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Bapu.

“We seek immediate suspension of the IAS officer for her derogatory tweets against Mahatma Gandhi. She has also glorified Godse. This is shocking and such things should not be tolerated,” Awhad told mediapersons today.

Under fire from various quarters, Choudhari said on Friday she had deleted her controversial tweet.

“I have deleted my tweet of 17.05.2019 w.r.t. Gandhiji beause some people misunderstood it. If only they had followed my timeline since 2011, they would’ve understood that I would NEVER even dream of insulting Gandhiji. I bow before him with deepest regard and will do so till last breath,” she tweeted.

Well, I am still awaiting my Gold Medal from University for securing 1st rank in English Literature but it seems studying literary technique wasn’t that great an idea.
Should have read Pass Books instead of spending time in library reading reference books? https://t.co/cCykQ3K9jZ

— Nidhi Choudhari?☪️✝️☸️ (@nidhichoudhari) June 1, 2019

Awhad pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically said that he would not tolerate any kind of insults to Gandhiji or any attempts to glorify his assassin.

On Friday, Choudhari posted a tweet on new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, but without directly taking her name: “A proud moment. Women are best at managing budgets… hope Indian economy achieves greater heights under her leadership.”

Adding in a lighter vein, Choudhari also demanded that Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins, garments and beauty services would be reduced and said: “I would want it to be zero.”

Published on: Jun 1, 2019 at 22:05 IST

IANS