Bharatiya Janata Party MP Giriraj Singh said he "regretted" any grief he has caused to Sonia or Rahul Gandhi, or any others for his comments on Sonia Gandhi's skin colour. The 62-year-old Minister of State for MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) told ANI in an interview that he regretted any hurt he may have "inadvertently" caused anyone.
"Whether it's Soniaji or Rahulji or others who have been upset with my words, then I regret it," he said.
Singh had kicked up a political storm on Wednesday when a recorded video of him making racist remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi emerged on Wednesday. In the video, he had questioned if Gandhi would have been accepted by Congress if she didn't have "white skin". He had alleged that she wouldn't have found the same reception if she was of Nigerian origin, alluding to a darker skin tone.
If Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi are hurt by my statements,I regret what I said: Giriraj Singh,BJP #MindYourLanguage
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 1, 2015
Singh claimed that his comments that emerged in media reports on Wednesday were off the record conversations that he said many people — and politicians — can have in private or public gatherings. He also alleged that his comments were presented in a way that was unfair.
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