BJP Leader Paresh Rawal Apologises As Row Over 'Cook Fish For Bengalis' Remark Snowballs

Campaigning for the BJP in Gujarat, Paresh Rawal made a remark which is drawing flak from a section of Twitter users.

Bollywood actor and former BJP MP Paresh Rawal addresses an election campaign rally for the Gujarat Assembly elections, in Surat, Monday night, Nov. 28, 2022.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Actor and former BJP MP Paresh Rawal on Friday apologised for his remarks in a Gujarat rally where he said, the people of Gujarat would tolerate inflation but not agree to live with "Bangladeshis and Rohingya" next door. 

"Gas cylinders are expensive, but their price will come down. People will get employment too. But what will happen if Rohingya migrants and Bangladeshis start living around you, like in Delhi? What will you do with gas cylinders? Cook fish for the Bengalis?" Paresh Rawal said in Valsad earlier this week, as reported by NDTV.

Gas cylinder will become cheaper again, inflation will go up & down but what if Rohingyas start living next to you? Gujarat people can tolerate inflation but not this ... Way they deliver verbal abuses. A person among them needs to wear diaper on his mouth: Paresh Rawal in Valsad pic.twitter.com/25iruyNhSa

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) November 29, 2022

As the videos of the statement went viral, Twitter users expressed displeasure at the comment on Bengalis. A section of users also objected to the targeting of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

Paresh Rawal apologised for the remark writing, "Of course the fish is not the issue AS GUJARATIS DO COOK AND EAT FISH. BUT LET ME CLARIFY BY BENGALI I MEANT ILLEGAL BANGLA DESHI N ROHINGYA. BUT STILL IF I HAVE HURT YOUR FEELINGS AND SENTIMENTS I DO APOLOGISE."

of course the fish is not the issue AS GUJARATIS DO COOK AND EAT FISH . BUT LET ME CLARIFY BY BENGALI I MEANT ILLEGAL BANGLA DESHI N ROHINGYA. BUT STILL IF I HAVE HURT YOUR FEELINGS AND SENTIMENTS I DO APOLOGISE. 🙏 https://t.co/MQZ674wTzq

— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) December 2, 2022

He was responding to a user demanding his clarification: "Fish shouldn't have been the topic. He needs to clarify." "What does cooking fish have to do with Rohingyas? It’s staple diet for Bengalis, Indians. He comes from MH where fish is a staple diet. Does he attack them too? This is not expected of you @SirPareshRawal, you must clarify and apologise for hurting your fans in Bengal," the user wrote in a prior tweet.

According to NDTV's report, the actor also took a veiled dig at Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

"He would come in a private plane here and then sit in a rickshaw to show off. We have spent a lifetime in acting but even we have not seen such a nautankiwala. And plenty of abuses against Hindus. He had offered Biryani in Shaheen Bagh," NDTV quoted Rawal as saying.