"Not a Hindi speaker": Adhir Ranjan apologises for 'gandi naali' remark against PM

“I am not a Hindi bhashi, so it must have been misinterpreted. I only wanted to compare the Ganges and a local channel from where water passes,” Ranjan later clarified

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury/ Image: PTI

New Delhi: Hours after making objectionable “naali” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Leader of Congress in the lower house Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that it wasn’t his intention to dishonor the Prime Minister and that he will personally apologise to the PM. Expressing regret over the “misinterpretation” of his comment, Chowdhury said: “"I do not have the remotest intention to dishonour the prime minister. It is a misunderstanding, I didn't say 'naali'. If the Prime Minister is upset with it I'm sorry. I had no intention to hurt him. If he is hurt, I'll personally apologise to him.” “I am not a Hindi bhashi, so it must have been misinterpreted. I only wanted to compare the Ganges and a local channel from where water passes,” he further clarified. “A BJP MP compared Swami Vivekananda with Prime Minister due to a similarity in their names and put them on same pedestal, it hurts sentiments of Bengal. That's why I said 'you're provoking me, if you continue, I’ll say you're comparing Ganga with naali,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. A huge row erupted after Chowdhury compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a “naali” in the Parliament house. While saying there's no comparison between Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi, Chowdhury said, "kahan maa ganga, kahan gandi naali (one is Mother Ganges, other is a dirty drain). His comments drew sharp condemnation from BJP members in the Parliament. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, the newly-elected Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha also went on to say "don't compare a monk and a monster". Chowdhury made the flippant remark even as he said Narendra Modi "deserves respect for becoming the prime minister twice". Chowdhury said the BJP came back to power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a "very big salesman" while the Congress failed to market its product in the general elections. "Our Prime Minister is a very big salesman.We (Congress) have been unable to sell our product, that is why we lost(Lok Sabha elections)," he said.