New Delhi: Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday kicked up a storm for allegedly using foul language while referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting of BJP workers in Churu. Kataria later apologised, saying that a word he used was “inappropriate”.
Comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his predecessor, Kataria said: “Desh ka pradhan mantri pehle Manmohan Singh jab America utarta tha, toh sa** ko receive karne kay liye aira-gera nathu khaira mantri ja karke airport se lekar ata tha. Lekin ab Hindustan ka pradhan mantri jab jata hai, toh Obama swayam uth karke jata hai uski agwani karne ke liye. (When prime minister Manmohan Singh used to go to America, the sa** was received by ordinary ministers at the airport. But now, when India’s prime minister goes, [US President Barack] Obama himself comes to receive him.”
Later, the minister tendered an apology on Twitter but insisted that he did not say anything derogatory about the former prime minister.
Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot sought action against Kataria for the speech. “The BJP must take strong action against him and he should be sacked from his post. The BJP’s leaders are shamelessly saying whatever they want. They have literally crossed all limits,” said Gehlot.
The Congress also criticised the minister’s derogatory tone while referring to the former PM in his nearly half-hour speech. Congress state president Sachin Pilot said that “the state home minister’s comments about a former PM only reflect the state of his mental faculties”.
(Agencies)
