The BJP’s state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, having developed a reputation for shooting from the hip and embarrassing his party, on Tuesday lambasted Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in what is being viewed by some in the party as “unnecessary invitation to avoidable trouble”.

Reacting to questions on Sen’s stand against the legislation against “love jihad” being enacted by many BJP-ruled states, Ghosh said the economist should not speak of ideals.

“I don’t want to attack someone personally. But he has no moral right to speak since he himself has married thrice, into three different religions,” he said on Tuesday.

“He (Sen) fled the country and has never been seen in times of crises, such as Cyclone Amphan or the pandemic. We will not take moral lessons from such a person,” said Ghosh, despite his party steering clear of criticising the 87-year-old, conferred the Bharat Ratna — India’s highest civilian honour — by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre in 1999.

The Midnapore MP issued the public statement at a time his party has been treading with caution on not only Sen but on all matters pertaining to Bengal, its culture and icons.

Many sources in the BJP admitted to displeasure with Ghosh over the remarks.

“Yes, of course, we do have our differences with Sen. But it is difficult to justify such an uncouth personal attack on him while we are trying our best to connect with the people,” said a state BJP leader.

“Mamata (Banerjee) and her party (Trinamul) have been going out of their way to stand by Sen at this hour, and this support has brought them close. At this time, Dilipda’s remarks would give her the edge. Dilipda, yet again, handed live ammo to her,” he added.

Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta, a BJP ideologue, and the party’s national-secretary Anupam Hazra, a Visva-Bharati alumnus, distanced themselves from Ghosh’s remarks. Both claimed they were unaware of the remarks by Ghosh.

“Professor Sen is a person who is respected all over Bengal as well as all across the globe,” said Dasgupta.

Hazra added: “Though many a time Sen has been rigidly against the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is an esteemed son of Bengal’s soil. One should avoid making personal attacks at him.”

State minister and Trinamul spokesperson Bratya Basu said: “Such foul-mouthed insults are the first instinct for the BJP when it comes to Bengal, its ethos and its essence. Since the BJP has realised that no Nobel laureate or any civil society member worth his salt is with them, their masks often fall off in reacting to them.”