Union Minister Piyush Goyal was forced to withdraw his controversial statement on Bihar today after the Opposition members protested and demanded his apology.
Goyal, the Minister of Commerce and Industry as well as the Leader of the House, said he will immediately withdraw the statement if it has hurt anybody.
“At the outset, let me clarify that there is absolutely no intention of insulting either Bihar or the people of Bihar. And if at all it has hurt anybody, I will immediately withdraw that statement. It was not made with any malice to anybody at all,” the minister said in Rajya Sabha.
The minister had made the comment on Tuesday when RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) member Manoj Jha was speaking in Rajya Sabha on inflation and the state of the economy.
Goyal responded by saying, "Inka bas chale to desh ko Bihar bana dein (if he had his way, he would turn the entire country into Bihar)".
Reacting to the remark, Manoj K. Jha on Wednesday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar urging him to remove from records Goyal's "contemptuous and condescending" remarks on Bihar during a debate, IANS reported.
He said, "Sir, this is an insult to Bihar. Piyush ji, with folded hands I urge you, say whatever you want to about me, but please don't make comments on Bihar."
Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge too joined Jha in demanding an apology from Goyal.
Slamming the minister for his remarks, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav shared a post on Twitter. He wrote, "Look at the insult of Bihar and Biharis by a mindless and arrogant (vivekheen aur ahankari) Union Minister. Projects worth ₹ 2.5 lakh crore were taken away from his home state Maharashtra by Gujarat and he could not utter a word. This shows his standing."
The statement has drawn a sharp reaction from the RJD and JDU in the Upper House and outside.
(With inputs from agencies)