PTI photo

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury ’s first major speech as leader of Congress in Lok Sabha set off a controversy over his derogatory comments about PM Modi, forcing the leader to express regret and claim lack of familiarity with Hindi. The comments were struck off the LS record.

Taking exception to BJP leader Pratap Chandra Sarangi’s comparison of Modi with Swami Vivekananda, Chowdhury, in the presence of the PM, used a common Hindi expression to say that Sarangi had “crossed the limits of praise” and the reference was as inappropriate as comparing “mother Ganges” to drainage.

As parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi taunted Congress with the “India is Indira and Indira is India” slogan, an irate Chowdhury made the remark, triggering angry protests from BJP.

Later, the Congress leader expressed regret, clarifying that his intention was not to insult the PM. “It is a misunderstanding, I didn’t say ‘naali’. If PM Modi is upset with it, I am sorry. I had no intention to hurt him. My Hindi is not good. By ‘naali’, I meant channel and not sewer. I apologise if the nation feels that I have disrespected the PM,” he later said.

Taunting BJP, Chowdhury said the party speakers indulged in “excessive praise” of Modi but made no mention of the severe drought in the country and encephalitis deaths of children in Bihar .

