Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over Karnataka Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi's remarks claiming the word 'Hindu' is Persian and has a very dirty meaning. Mishra said he will write a letter in this regard to senior Congress leader Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi should apologise for the derogatory remarks made by Jarkiholi on the word 'Hindu. I will write a letter to him to clarify what Congress thinks about 'Hindu' and 'Hindutva',” said Mishra, who is also the MP government's spokesperson.
During an event in Nippani on Sunday, Karnataka Congress Working President Jarkiholi said, "They speak about Hindu Dharm...this that, where did the Hindu word come from? Is it ours? It is Persian. Persian is from Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. What is Bharat's relationship with it? Then, how did Hindu become yours? There should be a debate on this." The All India Congress Committee (AICC) later termed it as deeply unfortunate and rejected it "unequivocally".
Reacting to Jarkiholi's statement, MP Home Minister Mishra while talking to reporters here said Rahul Gandhi had tried to define 'Hindu' and 'Hindutva' during a rally in Rajasthan and now Congress leaders were making controversial comments during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Meanwhile, Satish Jarkiholi, who sparked a controversy by making an objectionable remark on the word ‘Hindu’, defended himself saying that he will resign if anyone proves him wrong. "Let everyone prove I’m wrong. If I am wrong, I’ll resign as MLA and not just apologise for my statement," news agency ANI quoted Jarkiholi as saying.
(With agencies' Inputs)