BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla Apologises To Purvanchalis Amid Row Over Remark On AAP MLA's Surname: ‘Don’t Want To…’

In a heated discussion during a television news channel debate on Wednesday, Poonawalla had played on AAP MLA Rituraj Jha's surname to take a jibe at him, a remark slammed as abusive by the party.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla apologised for making a controversial reference to AAP MLA's surname, which was seen as abusive by the party and its allies.

Source : X

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI): BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday apologised for his controversial reference to AAP MLA Rituraj Jha's surname, as his party sought to put a lid on the row.

"I tender an apology with folded hands to all my Purvanchali brothers and sisters. My words have hurt them. I do not want to offer any justification," Poonawalla said in a video message posted on X, adding that he has a lot of respect for the hardworking people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Main sabhi poorvanchali bhai behenon se pure dil se maafi maangta hoon ki mere shabdon se unhe dukh hua peeda hui.

Isme koi justification nahi dena chahta hoon.

UP Bihar ke sabhi log mere bahut sammanit hai aur main phir se maafi mangta hoon 🙏 pic.twitter.com/etyrUMijdN

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) January 17, 2025

In a heated discussion during a television news channel debate on Wednesday, Poonawalla had played on Jha's surname to take a jibe at him, a remark slammed as abusive by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

His swipe had come after Jha played with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson's surname to take a dig at him.

Besides its rivals, BJP ally Janata Dal (United) has also spoken against Poonawalla and sought action against him.

In Delhi, Purvanchal loosely refers to eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Voters from the region reside in large numbers in the national capital and have increasingly become influential electorally.

Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Delhi on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8. The contest is being seen as a straight fight between the AAP, in power in the capital since 2015, and the BJP, with the Congress trying hard to regain its lost ground in the city, which it ruled for 15 uninterrupted years till 2013. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)