- Tuesday, April 29, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Indian actor and former parliamentarian Paresh Rawal has courted controversy by making a remark on Bengalis while campaigning for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ongoing election in the western state of Gujarat. He later apologised.
The 72-year-old made his controversial remark while taking a dig at the Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who have allegedly entered the Indian territory but ended up offending the Bengali community, a part of India.
At a rally on Tuesday (29), two days before the state went to its first phase of the election, Rawal said in Gujarati, “Gas cylinders are expensive but the prices will come down. People will get employment too. But what will happen if Rohingya migrants and Bangladeshis start living around you, like in Delhi? What will you do with gas cylinders? Cook fish for the Bengalis?”
Actor/BJP politician Paresh Rawal in Gujarat: “Price of Gas cylinders will come down, inflation will fluctuate up-down, but what will you do when Bangladeshis and Rohingyas start living next to you?”
He knows what will get BJP the votes in Gujarat.pic.twitter.com/6BEuwmTUdf
— Saif ?? (@isaifpatel) November 30, 2022
The “cook fish for the Bengalis” part did not go down well with the Bengali community and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party of the Bengali-dominated eastern state of West Bengal and one of the major anti-BJP forces, hit back at Rawal over his remarks.
TMC’s information technology head Debangshu Bhattacharjee said prime minister Narendra Modi came to power over the rise of price of gas and liquefied petroleum gas. “Does Paresh Rawal forget this? When prices of gas increase, it affects Hindus and Muslims both. It is shameful that Paresh who made a film like Oh My God and said that he protested against the business of religion, is stating such stuff during an election, just to get two votes in Gujarat,” India Today quoted him as saying.
“He needs to remember that his films release in Bengal as well. It is shameful that he says that what will one do with price deduction of gas, cook fish for Bengalis? So he is equating Bengalis with illegal immigrants now,” Bhattacharjee added.
Rawal later said in a tweet, “Of course the fish is not the issue as Gujaratis do cook and eat fish . But let me clarify by Bengali I meant illegal Bangladeshi n Rohingya. But still if I have hurt your feelings and sentiments I do apologise.”
of course the fish is not the issue AS GUJARATIS DO COOK AND EAT FISH . BUT LET ME CLARIFY BY BENGALI I MEANT ILLEGAL BANGLA DESHI N ROHINGYA. BUT STILL IF I HAVE HURT YOUR FEELINGS AND SENTIMENTS I DO APOLOGISE. ? https://t.co/MQZ674wTzq
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) December 2, 2022
He posted the tweet in response to a user who sought the actor-politician’s clarification.
“Fish shouldn’t have been the topic. He needs to clarify,” he said.
However, Rawal’s apology did not convince all. TMC parliamentarian Mahua Moitra, one of the fiercest critics of the Modi government, mocked the actor tweeting, “Actually Kemchho Slapstickman need not have apologised. The second part of Cook Fish like Bengalis is “Have Brains like Bengalis” Most nobel laureates than any other Indian state, buddy boy.”
Actually Kemchho Slapstickman need not have apologised.
The 2nd part of Cook Fish like Bengalis is “Have Brains like Bengalis”Most nobel laureates than any other Indian state, buddy boy….
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) December 2, 2022
Rawal served as a member of the Lok Sabha or Lower House of the Indian Parliament between 2014 and 2019 and refused to contest the 2019 general elections.
