IANS/New Delhi

Federal minister Giriraj Singh raked up a controversy with his “white skin” remark on Congress president Sonia Gandhi but “regretted” it a day later yesterday, causing yet another embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The remark prompted the Congress Party to seek an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand the minister’s sacking.
At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Singh, the minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) said: “If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn’t white skinned, would Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader?”
Just a day ahead of the BJP’s national executive meeting, the remark triggered a volley of reactions from across the political spectrum as well as the Nigerian envoy in Delhi.
Left fuming over the “racist” remarks, the Congress lashed out at the minister.
“The Congress strongly deprecates and condemns the intemperate and distasteful remarks of the union minister, bordering on insanity,” the party said in a statement.
“It appears that continuous quest to appease Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made him lose his balance. Such remarks are reflective of lack of moral fibre in BJP and its cadre,” it added.
Singh, however, said: “It was an off the record remark.”
“People do talk off the record with each other and it’s a different thing how it is presented. If I have hurt anyone’s sentiments, including Sonia and Rahul, I regret what I said,” he said.
The BJP later distanced itself from the controversy.
“The BJP doesn’t do politics over colour or caste. We believe in ‘Sabka saath sabka vikas’ (co-operation of all, development of all),” BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said.
Baffled at the minister’s choice of words, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to India O B Okongor remarked: “The minister should have been much more circumspect...”
“We have good bilateral relations with India...but the union minister’s remarks are uncalled for, unacceptable,” he added.
Okongor said “he expects the minister to withdraw the comment and apologise.”
The diplomat said: “It was unfortunate that the comment is coming from a minister who also doubles as representative of India.”
He also said he would file a complaint against the minister’s remark with the Indian foreign ministry and notify his government for further instructions on the issue.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat also condemned Singh’s.
“This is a very derogatory remark and in full contempt for working women, this is racist,” Karat said.
Seeking an explanation from Modi, she said: “He (Giriraj Singh) is a serial offender. The PM has a duty to publicly correct this situation. What is the PM’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ on this? His silence reflects connivance and encouragement.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav described as “dirty politics” Singh’s remark.
“It is dirty politics of Giriraj Singh, who belongs to the BJP and the RSS, which promote such kind of politics,” Yadav said.
The former Bihar chief minister said by targeting Gandhi, Singh has exposed the true colour of his training in the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
“It is very bad and dirty to target a woman in our culture,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh called for “action” against the Barahiya MP as it was not the first time he had made such a derogatory remark.
Earlier during 2014 general elections, Singh had asked those opposing his party’s prime ministerial candidate Modi to “leave India and go to Pakistan.”