Giriraj in Sonia shocker, Cong demands sacking
comment on “a senior leader like Girirajji as I have not heard the comments”. At the same time, he tried to distance the party from these remarks, saying that the BJP “doesn’t do politics over colour and caste”. He added: “We believe in sabka saath sabka vikas”.
Speaking in Hajipur on Tuesday night, Mr Singh was on a roll. He didn’t stop at his racist comment, but went on to add: “The absence of Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi is similar to that of the missing Malaysian airliner which has still not been located... The same way that the Congress leader was not present in the Budget Session. No one in the Congress is ready to speak... This is unfortunate for the Congress and a joke for the country.”
The Congress hit out at Mr Singh and demanded his immediate removal from the government. Mr Randeep Surjewala, who is in charge of the party’s communication department, said: “The Congress strongly deprecates and condemns the intemperate and distasteful remarks of Giriraj Singh, bordering on insanity. The Prime Minister must dismiss such a minister and apologise to the nation.” He added that such comments reflect “a lack of moral fibre” in the BJP and amongst its cadre.
Another Congress leader, Manish Tewari, said it was for Mr Modi to reflect on what kind of “elements and bizarre creatures” were there in his government.
A livid CPI( M) politburo member Brinda Karat said that “this exposes the mindset of the party and its leaders”, while RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said the comment was “nothing but filth”. Mrs Gandhi’s son- in- law Robert Vadra said he was “appalled” at the racist comment made by Mr Singh.
BJP leader Kiran Bedi said an instance like this “does” distract from Mr Modi’s development agenda, but added: “I am sure it is a matter of concern for the PM. How he deals with it, let’s leave it to him.” Mr Singh is not the first minister or BJP leader to make controversial remarks that have caused embarrassment to the Modi government. Parliament was rocked during the Winter Session by the communal comments of minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyothi during the Delhi elections that was disapproved by the PM. The party had to distance itself from similar offensive comments of BJP MPs Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj.