Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya Stirs Row After Calling Gandhi 'Father Of Nation For Pakistan': Father Of Our Nation By Mistake

Playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, known for his legendary work in Bollywood and outspoken opinions, recently stirred controversy with his comments about Mahatma Gandhi. In the latest interview, he referred to Gandhi as the “Father of Pakistan.” While discussing legendary music composer R.D. Burman, Bhattacharya also compared him to Gandhi.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya made a controversial statement about Mahatma Gandhi and R.D. Burman

During a podcast with journalist Shubhankar Mishra, Abhijeet Bhattacharya discussed music composer RD Burman, stating, "Pancham Da was bigger than Mahatma Gandhi. Like Mahatma Gandhi was the father of the nation, Pancham Da was the father of the nation in the world of music."

Bhattacharya added that Mahatma Gandhi was not India's Father of the Nation but Pakistan's Father of India. He remarked, “Pancham Da (RD Burman) was bigger than Mahatma Gandhi; he was the Rashtrapita of music. Mahatma Gandhi was the Father of the Nation for Pakistan, not for India. India was always there. Pakistan was created. By mistake, Mahatma Gandhi was called the Father of Our Nation.”

For unversed, Abhijeet Bhattacharya started his career with a duet alongside veteran singer Asha Bhosle in a Bengali film, launched by the iconic R.D. Burman. Early in his journey, he also performed as a stage singer with Burman. Over the years, Abhijeet has voiced numerous Bollywood actors, including Mithun Chakraborty, Vijay Anand, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Akshaye Khanna, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Ajay Devgan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Chandrachur Singh, Bobby Deol, Jitendra Kumar, and Jimmy Shergill.

Social media expressed anger over his remark

Netizens had mixed reactions to the podcast. While some supported him, others criticised his views. One user said, “He is always straightforward... I support such guys who don't foot polish anyone.” Another remarked, “Abhijit sir has his own guts.” A third commented, “What a worm interview.”

Another user wrote, “Abhijit is a staunch supporter of Hindutva. The Bollywood lobby doesn’t favour him.” Someone else expressed surprise, saying, “I was shocked when I saw this news. How can a Bengali even think of criticising Mahatma Gandhi? Then I realised that Abhijeet Bhattacharya was born in UP.”