Shinde endorses Amartya's views, says he must be right

Speaking on the sidelines of a foundation stone laying ceremony of at Trishundi in Amethi, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday disapproved of Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Chandan Mitra's demand of stripping economist Amartya Sen of the Bharat Ratna and went on to endorse the views of the Nobel laureate against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"Sen is a renowned economist of the country. Whatever he has said, must be correct. It is his opinion. They (BJP) should have not said like this," Shinde told reporters, without naming the opposition party.

Shinde was asked about Mitra's demand to strip Sen of Bharat Ratna after the economist raised the hackles of the BJP saying he did not want to see Narendra Modi as prime minister since he had failed to protect minority rights.

The prominent economist had also criticised Modi's model of governance saying he did not approve of it.