Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (IANS): Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala Saturday said that Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy should apologise for calling Mahatma Gandhi a casteist.
"She should withdraw her remarks and also apologise for her statements that she made on the father of the nation," said Chennithala, who is currently in Delhi.
Roy made the controversial statement in a lecture organised by Mahatma Ayyankali Chair of Kerala University here July 17.
In the lecture, Roy accused Gandhi of being a casteist and also demanded that institutions named after him should be renamed.
Chennithala said a complaint that he received about Roy's statement was forwarded to the police chief.
Meanwhile, police are examining the video and the transcript of the speech.
Kerala assembly speaker G. Karthikeyan was the first to raise objection.
The state Congress party also condemned Roy's remarks.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters Saturday that Gandhiji is held in high esteem all over the world.
"So any statement against him does not augur well and is not acceptable," said Chandy.