Chandigarh/ Patna/ New Delhi: BJP president Nitin Gadkari won’t be getting away with an apology to senior politicians Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav for his offensive remarks against them.
Gadkari had likened Prasad, chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Yadav, who leads the Samajwadi Party, to "dogs who lick the feet of the Congress" at a public rally in Chandigarh on Wednesday night. He later issued an apology, saying he didn't mean to be offensive.
On Thursday, he said he had been misunderstood. "I regret the comment made yesterday (Wednesday) and take back my words. I have a lot of respect for Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad," Gadkari said at a press conference in Chandigarh. "The comment created a wrong impression."
"Meri baat ki bhavna alag thi (The intention behind my remark was different)," he said.
Yadav and Prasad’s parties were unimpressed. The SP on Thursday held a press conference at Chandigarh and said Gadkari was unfit for national politics.
“We condemn the language used for our party leader. Gadkari's indecent language shows that he is an ill mannered person. I am surprised to see him reach this level of politics,” said SP leader Ramgopal Yadav.
RJD leaders are furious too. They plan a campaign against Gadkari and were also mulling court action against him for abusing Prasad. Party sources said a meeting of workers and leaders had been called on Friday to discuss the issue.
"We will discuss suing Gadkari at Friday's meeting," said a senior leader. Other programmes have been firmed up.
"RJD will burn effigies of Nitin Gadkari in Patna and across Bihar on Thursday to protest his abusive remarks against Lalu Prasad," said RJD senior leader Ram Kirpal Yadav.
The Congress on Thursday said Gadkari’s derogatory language proved he didn’t have the “stature” of a national politician. "It is highly derogatory language but we are not surprised. Soon after Gadkari was made BJP president, it was said that his stature was not of a national politician. He is justifying this impression with this kind of language," said party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed.
At the rally, Gadkari accused Singh and Prasad of betraying the Opposition on the recent cut motions in Parliament. "Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)," he said referring to the Congress president.
Gadkari later claimed that he was "just using a phrase in the speech to make a point".
(With inputs from PTI, IANS and CNN-IBN correspondents.)
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