Reacting to social scientist Ashis Nandy's comments on backward classes being corrupt, Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale Saturday demanded that Nandy take back his comments.

Terming Nandy's statements as an act of insanity, Athawale said that he had shown disrespect for the Dalits.
"If, being a writer, Ashis Nandy-ji is saying such things, then it is an act of insanity. It is not good to make such statements," Athawale said.

"He should take back his comment. Making such comments is disrespect to the Dalits, who work for the welfare of the people," he added.

Nandy stirred up a controversy at the Jaipur Literature Festival Saturday, saying most of the corrupt in the country were people from the other backward classes (OBC), the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

"It will be an undignified, even vulgar statement. But it is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the OBC, the Scheduled Castes and now increasingly the STs and as long as it is the case, the Indian republic will survive," Nandy had said at a session titled "Republic of Ideas".